NASA Report: Sex, Space and Environmental Adaptation: A National Workshop on Research Priorities on Sex Differences in Human Responses to Challenging
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Sex, Space and Environmental Adaptation:
A National Workshop on Research Priorities on Sex Differences in Human Responses to Challenging Environments
Sponsored by National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Center for Gender Physiology and Environmental Adaptation, University of Missouri
November 12-14, 2002
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
In order to certify that men and women can live in space, NASA needs to know the physiological
changes that occur during space travel. NASA pioneered bedrest studies utilizing healthy
humans. Thus far, flying men and women in space has not revealed gender response differences
that cause major health concerns. However with longer duration stays in space, it is increasingly
important for NASA to be armed with the knowledge needed to ensure the health and safety of
all male and female astronauts.
The application of sex based similarities and differences in healthy people are not restricted to
space. Nor are these differences inconsequential. Sex-based biomedicine is important to
exposures and occupations as extreme as the Antarctic, high altitude, deep sea, and to
communities as diverse as the military, international aid workers, emergency and rescue workers,
the elderly and children.
The NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 began to address the issue of better understanding sex-based
biomedicine by requiring the inclusion of women and minorities in clinical research studies and
the analysis of similarities and differences. This Act set the foundation for future research
initiatives. As identified in this workshop report, the scientific and medical community still
needs the knowledge gained from fundamental basic research in sex differences in health and
disease. To address this important need, this report recommends that models including human,
animal and computer be used to analyze for sex-based differences in physiology.
With NASA’s vision and the University of Missouri’s leadership, this workshop capitalizes on
the experience of nationally recognized scientists and clinicians. It takes the first step in defining
what is required for policy and implementation, resources and infrastructure, and establishing
research priorities to fully understand the impact of sex and gender on biomedical science and
health.
