Ana Diaz Artiles, PhD

Dr. Ana Diaz Artiles is a lecturer and research associate at the Sibley School for Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University. Her interests focus on human spaceflight and space system engineering, particularly on aerospace biomedical engineering, exercise physiology, extravehicular activity, and artificial gravity. At Cornell, she has created and leads the senior/graduate course: MAE 4560/5560: Bioastronautics and Human Performance.

She received her Ph.D from MIT in 2015, where she studied artificial gravity combined with exercise as a countermeasure for spaceflight-related physiological deconditioning. Prior to MIT, Ana worked for five years in Kourou (French Guiana) as a member of the Ariane 5 launch team. Dr. Diaz Artiles has a background in aeronautical engineering from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, and SUPAERO in Toulouse. She is a 2011 Fulbright fellow and a 2014 Amelia Earhart Fellowship recipient.

 

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Francisca Perez

Francisca Perez is a junior undergraduate student majoring in Mechanical Engineering. She is particularly interested in how an engineering approach to problem solving can be used in medicine, and hopes to pursue a career in the medical field where she can apply her engineering skills to diagnosis and treatment. She is currently working on a project that is examining the effects of artificial gravity on exercise using the Microgravity Exercise Platform Simulator (MEPS). The results of this experiment will be used as part of ongoing research into determining better exercise protocols for astronauts on long-duration space missions to counteract the detrimental effects of microgravity on the body. Outside of studies, Francisca enjoys being outdoors, hiking, mountain biking, and exploring.

 

Eric Berg

My name is Eric Berg and I am a sophomore studying Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell. I am originally from St. Louis, Missouri. I am working with Professor Ana Diaz Artilesto investigate the effects of microgravity on the human body. We are designing and building an exercise platform to simulate the gravitational and cardiovascular conditions of microgravity, the Moon, and Mars. The Microgravity Exercise Platform Simulator (MEPS) will be used to conduct experiments to collect data on the human body’s reactions in order to better understand how humans are affected in space. Using this data, we plan to investigate and propose solutions for how humans can most effectively exercise in space to maintain health given the conditions.

 

Evan Halloran

Evan Halloran is a sophomore undergraduate student majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He is interested in the applications of engineering to the field of medicine and the exploration of biological phenomena in the human body. Evan is currently working with a group of undergraduate students to design and build a platform for performing ergometer exercises in three different simulated gravity environments: microgravity, the Moon, and Mars. This platform will be used to study the effects of exercise in these various environments in order to gain more information on how to combat physiological deconditioning in spaceflight. In his free time, Evan likes to play soccer and basketball, and he participates in various clubs and organizations on campus.

 

Gustavo Anaya

Gustavo Anaya is an undergraduate junior majoring in Biological Engineering with a Biomedical track. His interests in his major focus on understanding the physiological and psychological reactions of humans to changes in their environments, which in turn influence the design of life support systems in normally uninhabitable environments such as underwater or space. Gustavo’s current research involves analyzing and identifying limitations of certain processes in designs for different space life support systems, and exploring possible alternative pathways in these designs that can help with the current life support system challenges of environmental monitoring, air revitalization, and wastewater processing and management. Apart from his research and studies, he enjoys playing guitar and participating in intramural sports, as well as DJing a morning show for WVBR-FM.  

 

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Ravi Patel

Ravi is a Masters of Engineering Student in Mechanical Engineering focusing on Biomechanics and Materials. He obtained his Bachelors of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering from Stony Brook University. He will be working on a joint project with NASA Glenn that focuses on the utilization of the software OpenSim to conduct biomechanical modeling simulations of Advance Exercise Concept (AEC) devices.