Drugs in Space

Pharmaceuticals (used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease) suffer from lack of stability on Earth and even more so in space. Over the next few decades, there are plans for human space missions to the Moon and, even further, to Mars. What could be done to limit the degradation of pharmaceuticals (due to time/radiation/altered gravity) during deep space travel to keep the astronaut crew healthy and safe? What about manufacturing drugs in space? How can this knowledge help us to fight diseases here on Earth? And, of course.. What is it like to be a space pharmacist? We have invited Dr. Marlise Araujo dos Santos (a Brazilian space pharmacology expert) and Paul Kamoun to inform us on the challenges and opportunities within the space environment.

At the end of the session we will open up the floor for questions. Registration is required to access the webinar. A Zoom link will be sent to registered participants.

About Dr Marlise Araujo dos Santos:

Marlise Araujo dos Santos, Brazilian pharmacist and specialist in Industrial Pharmacy, holds a PhD degree in Pharmaceutical Technology and Aerospace Pharmacy from King’s College London. Dr. dos Santos was an Associate Professor at the School of Pharmacy, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), a Coordinator of the Joan Vernikos Aerospace Pharmacy Laboratory, Microgravity Centre, PUCRS (www.pucrs.br/microg) and an invited lecturer for Space Pharmacology and Health MSc at King’s College London. Marlise is a member of the Board of Advisors of InnovaSpace, a member of International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth and a founder of MyDIGICARE (a startup of Remote Pharmaceutical Care). Her research activities include evaluation of the effects of simulated microgravity on nanoemulsions and cells, effects of hypergravity simulation on plants, and stability of drugs subjected to pressure variations in simulated flight, telepharmacy, among others.

About Paul Kamoun:

Paul is responsible for SpacePharma global business development and commercialization activities worldwide in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, biotechnology, and medical sectors. He holds an engineering degree from SUPELEC in Paris, France, and a PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, USA. He has more than forty years of experience in the Space domain, having worked on more than 150 space programs of NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), French Space Agency (CNES), and ASI (Italian Space Agency), as Head of Advanced Space Projects, overseeing new developments in Earth observation, Planetary Science, Astronomy, Fundamental Physics and Telecommunications. He later became Vice-President for European Business at TAS, the leading European company in the development of satellite systems. He also worked as an expert evaluator in the European Union R&D Framework Programs and was later part of the Space Advisory Committee of FP 7 and of H2020 for the definition of the EU Space Program.