Lessons learned in space to improve our muscle health at home
With the world’s attention on spaceflight following the historic Artemis II mission to the Moon, our researchers at the Kolling Institute are supporting the expert team working to protect the health of astronauts before, during and after their trips into space. The institute’s Academic Director,
Professor James Elliott has returned from a trip to the
Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where he presented at the Spaceflight Human Optimization and Performance Conference. Insights from this work will assist NASA as it prepares for sustained
With astronauts exposed to extreme conditions including micro-gravity, the group hopes to increase our understanding of spinal stability, muscle health and impaired movement. This will be crucial to reduce the risks to crew safety, the continuity of missions and post-landing health and wellbeing. Professor Elliott is keen to work with collaborators from around the world.
lunar expeditions and long- duration missions to Mars.
“It is a very exciting time to be involved and I’m thrilled to be part of the team dedicated to extending of our knowledge of the unique health challenges of spaceflight and how to minimise the risks,” he said. The group will draw on learnings from the MuscleMap program, a world first radiology tool designed to measure muscle health. The program is being developed with support from more than 60 collaborators worldwide, including co founders Dr Ken Weber and Dr Eddo Wesselink from Stanford University, Professor Elliott and Associate Professor Marnee McKay from the University of Sydney. By combining MuscleMap with emerging technologies such as liquid biopsy, there is significant potential to redefine diagnostic frontiers, not only for cancer, but for many diseases and conditions that influence human health and wellbeing.
Professor James Elliott
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KOLLINGNEWS | MAY 2026
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