Dr. Michael Schmidt

Dr. Michael A. Schmidt is among those leading the advancement of precision medicine and performance in human spaceflight. His clinical and research work is focused on multi-scale analytics derived from genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics. This includes early involvement in the NASA Twins Study and work with the Weill Cornell Medicine team on the study’s post-mission analytics (translation of Twins data to clinical methods).

Dr. Schmidt is the 2020 recipient of the Marie Marvingt Award for Excellence and Innovation in Aerospace Medicine from the Aerospace Medical Association.  He is also the winner of the 2019 Research and Development Innovation Award from the Life Sciences & Biomedical Engineering Branch of the Aerospace Medical Association.  His recent paper, “Why Personalized Medicine is the Frontier of Medicine and Performance for Humans in Space” was recently featured in the Special Issue of the FAA Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation in the journal New Space.

His team’s new discoveries from the NASA Twins Study will be published in early 2021. Other publications include “Pharmacogenomics in Spaceflight” (Springer Nature), “Personalized Medicine in Human Spaceflight” (Springer, Metabolomics), and “Incorporation of Omics Analyses into Artificial Gravity Research for Space Exploration Countermeasure Development.” (Springer, Metabolomics).

Dr. Schmidt has three decades of experience working with elite performers in extreme environments, which includes leading the molecular profiling and countermeasure efforts for humans ranging from wilderness medicine, S.W.A.T., high altitude ascent, military Special Forces, NFL, NBA, Olympic athletes, cycling, and motor sports (Le Mans, NASCAR), which includes collaborations with the Mayo Clinic, West Point Military Academy, NASA, and others. He also directs the Nutritional Genomics Certification Program for US Military Special Forces for the American Nutrition Association (American College of Nutrition).

Dr. Schmidt leads the Sovaris Aerospace research collaboration, as a member of the FAA Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation. He is the current President of the Life Sciences and Biomedical Engineering Branch of the Aerospace Medical Association and is the former Course Director of Clinical Genomics, Proteomics, & Metabolomics at George Washington University.

Dr. Schmidt did his doctoral (Ph.D.) research in Molecular Medicine and Biochemistry within the Life Sciences Division at NASA Ames Research Center, under the Chief Medical Officer. This included molecular and physiologic assessment of humans on NASA’s 20G long-radius human centrifuge, during 22 hours of continuous centrifugation. This work also included a fellowship at NASA’s Psychophysiology Research Laboratory. He received a second Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Lancaster University, focused on molecular modifiers of neuroplasticity, with applications directed to maintaining brain and cognitive function on deep space missions. He has done additional studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (data and models; artificial neural networks).