High performance aviation imposes unprecedented physical challenges ranging from exposure to hyper gravity, hyperoxia, hypoxia and increased work of breathing to profound cognitive workloads. Each challenge is accompanied with unique physiological stressors ranging from musculoskeletal duress to systemic hypoperfusion, atelectasis, physical and cognitive fatigue. Any one of those stressors can reduce an individual's resiliency to living and working within the austere aerospace environment. When several of those stressors occur simultaneously, they challenge an individual's ability to survive. In an effort to confer the greatest levels of resiliency against the challenges or the aerospace environment, high performance aviators and aircrew were required to possess physical and cognitive abilities that exceeded those of the average individual. However, technological enhancements of aviator life support systems as well as the rapidly emerging space tourism industry has redefined the physical and cognitive characteristics necessary to endure high speed aviation, suborbital travel, or even living beyond the earth’s atmosphere.
An individual's response to the ever present physical and cognitive challenges within the austere aerospace environment is influenced by numerous factors. For example, to what extent do age, sex, past medical history, etc., mediate responses to hyper gravity or extreme cognitive tasking. How does one determine physical and cognitive abilities of aerospace aviators, aircrew and passengers? What are the short and long term physiological outcomes of sustained exposure to life sustaining strategies, such as inspiration of hyperoxic gas, which is necessary to mitigate risk of hypobaric hypoxia and decompression injury? There are but a few examples of much needed research at the systems physiology to biophysics level.
The intended scope of this research topic is to characterize physiological and cognitive outcomes of the physical challenges of high performance, aerospace aviation. Studies of interest will define the stepwise progression from exposure to an aerospace-associated physical or cognitive challenge, to the biochemical, cellular, electrophysiologic or other outcome, to the impact upon human performance. Studies assessing traits and factors conferring resiliency or vulnerability to aerospace-associated physical or cognitive challenges are also welcomed. In addition, studies demonstrating efficacy of mitigations aimed at eliminating morbidity and mortality attributed to the unprecedented physical and cognitive challenges of high performance aviation are encouraged.
High performance aviation imposes unprecedented physical challenges ranging from exposure to hyper gravity, hyperoxia, hypoxia and increased work of breathing to profound cognitive workloads. Each challenge is accompanied with unique physiological stressors ranging from musculoskeletal duress to systemic hypoperfusion, atelectasis, physical and cognitive fatigue. Any one of those stressors can reduce an individual's resiliency to living and working within the austere aerospace environment. When several of those stressors occur simultaneously, they challenge an individual's ability to survive. In an effort to confer the greatest levels of resiliency against the challenges or the aerospace environment, high performance aviators and aircrew were required to possess physical and cognitive abilities that exceeded those of the average individual. However, technological enhancements of aviator life support systems as well as the rapidly emerging space tourism industry has redefined the physical and cognitive characteristics necessary to endure high speed aviation, suborbital travel, or even living beyond the earth’s atmosphere.
An individual's response to the ever present physical and cognitive challenges within the austere aerospace environment is influenced by numerous factors. For example, to what extent do age, sex, past medical history, etc., mediate responses to hyper gravity or extreme cognitive tasking. How does one determine physical and cognitive abilities of aerospace aviators, aircrew and passengers? What are the short and long term physiological outcomes of sustained exposure to life sustaining strategies, such as inspiration of hyperoxic gas, which is necessary to mitigate risk of hypobaric hypoxia and decompression injury? There are but a few examples of much needed research at the systems physiology to biophysics level.
The intended scope of this research topic is to characterize physiological and cognitive outcomes of the physical challenges of high performance, aerospace aviation. Studies of interest will define the stepwise progression from exposure to an aerospace-associated physical or cognitive challenge, to the biochemical, cellular, electrophysiologic or other outcome, to the impact upon human performance. Studies assessing traits and factors conferring resiliency or vulnerability to aerospace-associated physical or cognitive challenges are also welcomed. In addition, studies demonstrating efficacy of mitigations aimed at eliminating morbidity and mortality attributed to the unprecedented physical and cognitive challenges of high performance aviation are encouraged.
