EXECUTIVE TEAM
SUSAN IP-JEWELL
President
Susan Ip-Jewell serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer for Mars Academy USA. She has been a leader, innovator, speaker and educator in the areas of space exploration, space medicine, STEAM, edutainment, and astropreneurship. Susan is a graduate of the International Space University (ISU), recipient of a Google scholarship to attend Singularity University, SU, Graduate Studies Program (GSP15), at NASA Ames. She has garnered extensive knowledge and skills in astronautic, exponential technologies, space medicine and human factors, and completed a summer program in aerospace medicine at University of Texas Medical Medical Branch...
NICHOLAS JEWELL
Chief Innovation Officer
Nicholas Jewell serves as the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) for Mars Academy USA (MAU). He is a co-founder and elected on the Board of Directors. Nicholas leads the organization’s innovation areas focusing on research and development in exponential technologies, for example, 3D printing, UAVs. rovers and robotics. Nicholas has had extensive training as an Analogue Astronaut and successfully commanded and supervised several missions with Mars Academy USA training programs, e.g., MAU Crew1111, Crew1112, Crew1113...
ATUL KAUSHAL
Business Development & Finance
Atul Kaushal serves as the Business Development and financial consultant for Mars Academy USA. Atul is a trained physician and business professional within the healthcare and care provider sectors, digital health and exponential technology.He has amassed his extensive knowledge and experience working as a Senior Consultant in Deloitte Consulting's Customer Strategy & Applied Design practice, with over ten years of experience in a variety of roles for health care provider organizations. In addition to his clinical background, his experience with providers includes marketing strategy, business development, technology innovation & agile delivery, new business launch, clinical documentation integrity...
JAY VELASCO
Chief Marketing & Sales Officer
Jay Velasco serves as the Chief Marketing & Sales Officer for Mars Academy USA (MAU) and is an integral member of the business development and strategy team for the organization. He is a trained Analog Astronaut and part of MAU’s pioneering Mars Medics Training series.
EMMY JEWELL
Chief, Education Outreach | PR
Emmy Jewell serves as the Director of Education Outreach and Public Relations for Mars Academy, USA (MAU). She is a co-founder and elected onto the Board of Directors. Emmy is an experienced Analog Astronaut and has trained and participated as a crew member.
BOARD OF ADVISORS
REMOTE MEDICAL TEAM
Jeremy Saget MD
Space Medicine | Spaceflight
Jeremy Saget is a French aerospace, space medicine physician, weightless flight surgeon (Novespace). He is a trained Analog Astronaut and was assigned the Crew Commander for MAU Crew1114 – Mars Medics I mission. He received his medical degree from Bordeaux University, MSc in Cognitive Sciences from Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux, Cognitive Human Factors HMI, and MSc Biomedical and Behavioral Psychophysiology in cytogenetics, biophysics and psychophysiology...
Nancy Mercado MD
Space Medicine | Surgery
Nancy Labastida Mercado, MD, is a physician and a surgeon with honorable mention at the Popular Autonomous University of Puebla, Mexico (Spanish: UPAEP). She is a trained Analog Astronaut serving as the Crew Surgeon for MAU Crew 1114 -Mars Medics 1. She is experienced in Scientific Research of the Mexican Academy of Sciences with publications in various medical journals. Currently, she is a resident completing her final degree in Emergency Medicine at the National Medical Center La Raza in Mexico City
Jesus Guerra MD
Aerospace & Space Medicine | Nutrition
Jesus Guerra MD is physician internal medicine, emergency medicine, and aerospace medicine. He is a trained Analog Astronaut with MAU Crew1114 – Mars Medics 1 mission. During his medical degree training, he aided students learning radiology topics as instructor of the Department of imaging and was involved as a research auxiliary in the same hospital department. His interest expanded to incorporate aerospace environments, space and long duration missions. In addition, he developed his master project about depression in skydiving.
Carlos Salicrup MD
Aerospace Medicine | Aviation | Flight Surgeon | Paramedic
Carlos Salicrup MD,Msc, is a trained medical doctor and aerospace medicine physician-scientist. From Mexico, Carlos is a trained Analog Astronaut with MAU Crew1115 _Mars Medics 2 missions and the Flight Surgeon as a member of the Remote Medical Support, RMS, team for Mars Academy USA (MAU) Crew 1111, Crew 1112, Crew 1113 and Crew1114. He participated in the PMAS mission in Poland 2017 under the Space Generation Advisory Council, SGAC, Space Generation Exploration Project under Dr. Sebastian Hettrich and SGEP team including ESA, European Space Agency, to develop potential medical capabilities for future missions to Mars by observing human behavior in isolation and confinement.
Naoyuk Ishikita MD
Teleanesthesia | Telesurgery
Naoyuki Ishikita MD is a trained physician-scientist and the inventor of the first 3D printed anesthesia device. Called the VapoJet. He has participated in zero gravity flights collaborating with Dr Carlos Salicrup successfully testing the small portable 3D printed anesthesia induction and pulmonary ventilation device. The VapoJet 3D printed device is currently being tested in a longitudinal study with analog astronaut crew missions in Mars Academy USA, MAU, teleanesthesia-telesurgery simulation trainings. The device has potential for offering medical life support during deep space and interplanetary missions and human settlement on Mars.
ASTRO-PSYCHIATRY & PSYCHOLOGY TEAM
Maria Harney MD
Astro-Psychiatry
Maria Harney MD is a medical doctor trained in the field of psychiatry. She is an analog astronaut and served as the Crew Psychiatrist and bio-documentary videographer for MAU Crew1114- Mars Medic I mission. Dr Harney was born in Russia and from an early age, she was curious about the arts and sciences. That curiosity brought her to the medical field and to First Pavlov State Medical University in Saint-Petersburg where she obtained her medical degree. Her research was focused on neuroscience and experimental models of seizures and epilepsy. Pursuing this interest, she obtained her specialization in Psychiatry, working with adult patients, ranging from Schizophrenia to manic depressive disorder.
Marc Jurblum MD
Astro-Psychiatry
Marc Jurblum MD is a medical doctor specializing in psychiatry. He obtained his degree from University of Deakin and biomedical degree with focus on immunology from Monach University. He has a passion for space exploration and is a graduate of the international Space University Space Studies Program SSP14. And from University of South Australia specializing in Space Psychology. Currently, Marc is obtaining his MSc degree in Psychiatry at University of Melbourne. Marc is on the committee for the Australasian Society of Aerospace Medicine, a member of Aerospace Medicine Association and a member of the Bioastronautics Australia Network.
Karoly Schlosser PhD
Astro-Psychology
Karoly Schlosser a PhD researcher in Psychology at the Institute of Management Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London. He has lectured on psychology, mindfulness and organizational behavior and has completed a teacher training focusing on Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy at the Oxford Centre of Mindfulness. His research project focuses on using Contextual Behavioral Science with the vision to help people to live a more productive, vital and meaningful life. Karoly has a private practice offering therapy and support for individuals who experience low mood, anxiety or adjustment problems.
Educardo Rodriquez, MD, MSc
Spaceflight Medicine | Neuropsychiatry
Omar Educardo Rodriquez, MD MSc is a physician-scientist and a neuropsychiatry and registrar (RANZCP) obtaining a Masters in Psychiatry at Melbourne University. He is currently completing the MSc program at the International Space University, ISU, Eduardo has been working as a medical practitioner in the Australian healthcare industry for 7+ years, and over time developed a passion in providing care to people with psychiatric and neurological illnesses to help improve their quality of life. While he is passionate about being a medical practitioner, he is also interest in space science as well as involving in multiple space research projects.
HUMAN FACTORS & BIOMEDICAL TEAM
Dwight A. Holland, MD, PhD
Human Factors | Space Medicine | Systems Integration
Dwight A. Holland, MD, PhD is from Cave Spring area in Roanoke, VA, and a Lt Col in the USAF Reserve supporting active duty. He is the co-founder / principal of Human Factors Associates, Inc, which performs human systems integration and systems management to reduce injuries in various workplaces from the factory floor to space. He seeks to increase organizational efficiency, safety and improve decision-making in a wide variety of systems. Dr Holland was IMA to the Chief of the 711th Human Performance Wing, Warfighter Readiness Research Division at Wright Patterson AFB, and worked on projects to improve human performance for the USAF through better integration of the people with state-of-the-art science and engineering. Dwight is a pilot, research pilot, and test engineer with over 2,000 hours of flying in over 40 aircraft. He has been on a remote Antarctica expedition living in an unheated tent for 3 months and flying sorties to off-site Antarctic areas nearly every day on a Geophysical Research Expedition.
Ilaria Cinelli PhD
Human Factors | Biomedical Engineer | Astronautics
Ilaria Cinelli PhD is a veteran analog astronaut and has commanded many missions at Mars Desert Research Station, MDRS, and has served as crew biomedical officer for MAU Crew 1111 deployed at Mojave Desert, She is member of the MAU's Mars Medical Research Team, MMRT, including and Remote Mission Support, RMS. Ilaria obtained degrees in B.Eng. and M.Eng. in biomedical engineering from University of Pisa, Italy (2012).and a PhD in computational modelling at the National University of Ireland in Galway. She has given lectures in biomedical engineering and completed a 1-year training in ionizing radiations on pediatric computed axial tomography protocols. Ilaria completed 2-year experience as a research assistant at Centre of Human and Aerospace Physiological (King’s College London). Since 2012, she worked on the Gravity Loading Countermeasure Skinsuit and studied finite element analysis and computational modelling of fluid shift in short bed-rest studies.