Multidisciplinary microgravity science expertise. Unique synergy of science management, spaceflight operations experience, and communications strategy leadership. Problem solver with an eye for gap analysis and process improvement. Skilled motivator, able to guide teams to develop creative solutions that deliver superior results.
Gravitational physiologist, professor, and science communicator with a passion for human spaceflight.
Spaceflight operations in NASA's Mission Control Center for Human Research Program investigations on the space shuttle and International Space Station.
2023 Conference Speakers
Check back soon for more updates!
Paul Fedak is a cardiac surgeon, translational scientist, and organizational leader at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. Dr. Fedak is committed to the innovation and translation of new surgical therapies for patients with advanced heart disease.
Dr. Fedak is a graduate of the University of Toronto medical school and completed further training in cardiac surgery (FRCSC) and biomedical science (Ph.D.) in Toronto. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada awarded him a Detweiler Fellowship that supported advanced training in surgery for end-stage heart disease and complex valve repair at Northwestern University in Chicago. The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR – now known as Alberta Innovates) and the University of Calgary then recruited him as a surgeon-scientist. He developed the Campbell Family Translational Research Program that trains graduate students and aims to develop and validate novel therapies to treat cardiovascular disease. He pioneered novel sternal closure techniques and he is developing tissue engineering approaches to treat heart failure using biomaterials. He has expertise in surgery for bicuspid aortic valve and its associated aortopathy. He leads a collaborative research effort with Northwestern University in Chicago to better understand mechanisms of progression and risk prediction.
He published over 220 peer-reviewed original manuscripts and numerous book chapters. His work is cited over 18,000 times. Dr. Fedak serves as an Editorial Board Member for several biomedical publications, including the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and the Canadian Journal of Cardiology. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH/NHLBI) funds his translational research program. He is the recipient of international and national research and mentorship awards. Some of these include the C. Walton Lillehei Award (American Association for Thoracic Surgery), Vivien Thomas Young Investigator Award (American Heart Association), Paul Cartier Award (Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons), and Wilfred Bigelow Award (University of Toronto), Watanabe Distinguished Achievement Award (University of Calgary), Telemachus Distinguished Mentorship Award (University of Calgary) and Calgary’s “Top 40 Under 40” (Avenue Magazine). He holds leadership positions in the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) and Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and is a Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA). He is recognized as a knowledge and opinion leader in cardiac surgery. He provides many international invited addresses, including a widely viewed TEDx talk.
Dr. Fedak currently holds senior leadership roles as the clinical and academic Department Head (Cardiac Sciences) and Director of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute. These are key leadership positions within the Cumming School of Medicine and Alberta Health Services. He plays a critical role in a dynamic and fully integrated health care, research, and service delivery environment. He is responsible for realizing the Institute’s vision of cardiovascular health, internationally recognized and funded research, and multidisciplinary educational programs that attract quality learners.
Dr. Miller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. He is also a member of the Institute for Infectious Diseases Research and the McMaster Immunology Research Centre.
Dr. Miller’s interest in infectious diseases and immunology began during his undergraduate education in the BMSc program at the University of Western Ontario, where he completed an Honors Specialization in Microbiology and Immunology. He went on to complete a PhD in the same department in the laboratories of Dr. Laura Hertel and Dr. Joe Mymryk, where he studied the molecular virology of DNA viruses, including human cytomegalovirus and human adenovirus. During his PhD studies, Dr. Miller was awarded a highly competitive Frederick Banting and Charles Best CIHR Doctoral Award. He was also honored to receive the Dr. John Robinson Graduate Scholarship, the John A. Thomas Award and the Stephen D. Poland Award from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Western University.
After completing his PhD, Dr. Miller moved to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Mount Sinai) in New York, NY, to pursue postdoctoral studies in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Palese. These studies were supported, in part, by a prestigious CIHR Postdoctoral Research Award. During his time in New York, Dr. Miller’s research focused on characterizing the innate and adaptive immune responses to viral infection. Specifically, Dr. Miller’s work helped to define how broadly-neutralizing antibodies against influenza A virus are generated and function in humans. This work has been instrumental in the ongoing development of a “universal” influenza virus vaccine and remains an active area of study in the Miller Lab. Dr. Miller also discovered an unexpected role for Senataxin – a protein involved in several neurodegenerative disorders, including ALS – in regulating the antiviral response. This relationship between infection-inflammation-neurodegeneration is an area of active investigation by the Miller Lab.
John Preston is a faculty member in the Department of Engineering Physics at McMaster University’s Faculty of Engineering and currently serves as the Faculty’s Associate Dean, Research, Innovation and External Relations. As such he oversees the Faculty’s $45M research portfolio. His own research is in the area of nanostructured materials for electronic and optical applications. He has been an Associate of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research in the area of Quantum Materials, has served as a founding member of the Board for the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology and served on the Materials Research Advisory Committee for the TRIUMF National Laboratory. He has represented Canada on numerous technical delegations including those to Germany, UK, Scandinavia, India and China, and has represented Canada on the ISO technical committee on nanotechnology.
Prof. Preston is a device physicist and a materials scientist who specializes in the application of laser-based manufacturing approaches for novel device applications. Current activities within the Preston group include a new approach for 3D printing of BiTe to produce high efficiency thermoelectric generators and the pulsed laser deposition of solar cells on oxide crystals that can be subsequently lifted off those crystals.
Multidisciplinary microgravity science expertise. Unique synergy of science management, spaceflight operations experience, and communications strategy leadership. Problem solver with an eye for gap analysis and process improvement. Skilled motivator, able to guide teams to develop creative solutions that deliver superior results.
Gravitational physiologist, professor, and science communicator with a passion for human spaceflight.
Spaceflight operations in NASA's Mission Control Center for Human Research Program investigations on the space shuttle and International Space Station.
Paul Fedak is a cardiac surgeon, translational scientist, and organizational leader at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. Dr. Fedak is committed to the innovation and translation of new surgical therapies for patients with advanced heart disease.
Dr. Fedak is a graduate of the University of Toronto medical school and completed further training in cardiac surgery (FRCSC) and biomedical science (Ph.D.) in Toronto. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada awarded him a Detweiler Fellowship that supported advanced training in surgery for end-stage heart disease and complex valve repair at Northwestern University in Chicago. The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR – now known as Alberta Innovates) and the University of Calgary then recruited him as a surgeon-scientist. He developed the Campbell Family Translational Research Program that trains graduate students and aims to develop and validate novel therapies to treat cardiovascular disease. He pioneered novel sternal closure techniques and he is developing tissue engineering approaches to treat heart failure using biomaterials. He has expertise in surgery for bicuspid aortic valve and its associated aortopathy. He leads a collaborative research effort with Northwestern University in Chicago to better understand mechanisms of progression and risk prediction.
He published over 220 peer-reviewed original manuscripts and numerous book chapters. His work is cited over 18,000 times. Dr. Fedak serves as an Editorial Board Member for several biomedical publications, including the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and the Canadian Journal of Cardiology. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH/NHLBI) funds his translational research program. He is the recipient of international and national research and mentorship awards. Some of these include the C. Walton Lillehei Award (American Association for Thoracic Surgery), Vivien Thomas Young Investigator Award (American Heart Association), Paul Cartier Award (Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons), and Wilfred Bigelow Award (University of Toronto), Watanabe Distinguished Achievement Award (University of Calgary), Telemachus Distinguished Mentorship Award (University of Calgary) and Calgary’s “Top 40 Under 40” (Avenue Magazine). He holds leadership positions in the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) and Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and is a Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA). He is recognized as a knowledge and opinion leader in cardiac surgery. He provides many international invited addresses, including a widely viewed TEDx talk.
Dr. Fedak currently holds senior leadership roles as the clinical and academic Department Head (Cardiac Sciences) and Director of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute. These are key leadership positions within the Cumming School of Medicine and Alberta Health Services. He plays a critical role in a dynamic and fully integrated health care, research, and service delivery environment. He is responsible for realizing the Institute’s vision of cardiovascular health, internationally recognized and funded research, and multidisciplinary educational programs that attract quality learners.
Dr. Miller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. He is also a member of the Institute for Infectious Diseases Research and the McMaster Immunology Research Centre.
Dr. Miller’s interest in infectious diseases and immunology began during his undergraduate education in the BMSc program at the University of Western Ontario, where he completed an Honors Specialization in Microbiology and Immunology. He went on to complete a PhD in the same department in the laboratories of Dr. Laura Hertel and Dr. Joe Mymryk, where he studied the molecular virology of DNA viruses, including human cytomegalovirus and human adenovirus. During his PhD studies, Dr. Miller was awarded a highly competitive Frederick Banting and Charles Best CIHR Doctoral Award. He was also honored to receive the Dr. John Robinson Graduate Scholarship, the John A. Thomas Award and the Stephen D. Poland Award from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Western University.
After completing his PhD, Dr. Miller moved to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Mount Sinai) in New York, NY, to pursue postdoctoral studies in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Palese. These studies were supported, in part, by a prestigious CIHR Postdoctoral Research Award. During his time in New York, Dr. Miller’s research focused on characterizing the innate and adaptive immune responses to viral infection. Specifically, Dr. Miller’s work helped to define how broadly-neutralizing antibodies against influenza A virus are generated and function in humans. This work has been instrumental in the ongoing development of a “universal” influenza virus vaccine and remains an active area of study in the Miller Lab. Dr. Miller also discovered an unexpected role for Senataxin – a protein involved in several neurodegenerative disorders, including ALS – in regulating the antiviral response. This relationship between infection-inflammation-neurodegeneration is an area of active investigation by the Miller Lab.
John Preston is a faculty member in the Department of Engineering Physics at McMaster University’s Faculty of Engineering and currently serves as the Faculty’s Associate Dean, Research, Innovation and External Relations. As such he oversees the Faculty’s $45M research portfolio. His own research is in the area of nanostructured materials for electronic and optical applications. He has been an Associate of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research in the area of Quantum Materials, has served as a founding member of the Board for the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology and served on the Materials Research Advisory Committee for the TRIUMF National Laboratory. He has represented Canada on numerous technical delegations including those to Germany, UK, Scandinavia, India and China, and has represented Canada on the ISO technical committee on nanotechnology.
Prof. Preston is a device physicist and a materials scientist who specializes in the application of laser-based manufacturing approaches for novel device applications. Current activities within the Preston group include a new approach for 3D printing of BiTe to produce high efficiency thermoelectric generators and the pulsed laser deposition of solar cells on oxide crystals that can be subsequently lifted off those crystals.
As Chief Exploration Scientist, Melissa guides technology development to meet the needs of scientists, and conducts mission operations research. As a planetary geologist, she has led more than 10 human and robotic mission simulations with CSA, NASA, Western University, and others in Moon and Mars analogue environments around the world.
Melissa is an Adjunct Faculty member at both Western University and the International Space University. She obtained her Ph.D. (Planetary Geology) from Western University, and holds a diploma in University Teaching and a M.Sc. (Geology) from the University of New Brunswick. In her spare time, Mel likes to hike, canoe, do yoga, and spend time with her family.
When April Khademi began her master’s degree, the medical community wasn’t quite ready to embrace or adopt machine learning for medical images. Physicians during this time said the field “wouldn’t go anywhere.” Then, along came IBM Watson, the AI platform designed to compete against Jeopardy! champions, and health-care professionals opened their minds to the power of artificial intelligence. “Now, clinicians are embracing these technologies and looking forward to integrating it into their practice,” she says. “It has the potential to change the way medicine is practiced and ultimately improve the quality of care for patients.”
Clinical applications come naturally to Khademi, whose experience in industry and commercialization helps make translation of machine learning algorithms for medical imaging a reality. Her automated MRI analysis algorithms detect new biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, and characterize breast cancers in digital pathology images – work that, up until recently, was manually done using only a microscope. The result is faster, more objective diagnoses, fewer mistakes and, overall, higher quality of care.
Khademi brings that same industrial focus to her teaching, which relies heavily on design-based labs and practical implementation. Her teaching philosophy is encapsulated by the wise words of Albert Einstein: “Learning is experience. Everything else is just information.”
Alexandre (Alex) McCafferty-Leroux received his Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical, with Distinction) from Carleton University (Ottawa, Ontario). He is currently working towards a MASc degree in mechanical engineering at McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario) in the Intelligent and Cognitive Engineering (ICE) Laboratory. Alex’s research project involves the development of a novel experimental CubeSat that will be used for the application of intelligent control and estimation techniques. His research interests include cognitive control, mechatronics, and aerospace engineering applications.
Andrew Newton received his Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical, with Distinction) from the University of Guelph (Guelph, Ontario). He went on to complete his MASc at Guelph, where he designed, fabricated, and programmed a nanosatellite attitude control simulator. He is currently a Research Engineer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University, where he is developing an aircraft-mounted robotic control system for NASA's air-LUSI instrument. Together with air-LUSI team members from McMaster, NIST, NASA, UMBC, and USGS, he received a NASA 2021 Robert H. Goddard Award in Science. His research interests include robotics, computer vision, nonlinear controls, and state estimation, with a particular interest in aerospace applications. Andrew is a Member of IEEE as well as the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society.
As Chief Exploration Scientist, Melissa guides technology development to meet the needs of scientists, and conducts mission operations research. As a planetary geologist, she has led more than 10 human and robotic mission simulations with CSA, NASA, Western University, and others in Moon and Mars analogue environments around the world.
Melissa is an Adjunct Faculty member at both Western University and the International Space University. She obtained her Ph.D. (Planetary Geology) from Western University, and holds a diploma in University Teaching and a M.Sc. (Geology) from the University of New Brunswick. In her spare time, Mel likes to hike, canoe, do yoga, and spend time with her family.
When April Khademi began her master’s degree, the medical community wasn’t quite ready to embrace or adopt machine learning for medical images. Physicians during this time said the field “wouldn’t go anywhere.” Then, along came IBM Watson, the AI platform designed to compete against Jeopardy! champions, and health-care professionals opened their minds to the power of artificial intelligence. “Now, clinicians are embracing these technologies and looking forward to integrating it into their practice,” she says. “It has the potential to change the way medicine is practiced and ultimately improve the quality of care for patients.”
Clinical applications come naturally to Khademi, whose experience in industry and commercialization helps make translation of machine learning algorithms for medical imaging a reality. Her automated MRI analysis algorithms detect new biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, and characterize breast cancers in digital pathology images – work that, up until recently, was manually done using only a microscope. The result is faster, more objective diagnoses, fewer mistakes and, overall, higher quality of care.
Khademi brings that same industrial focus to her teaching, which relies heavily on design-based labs and practical implementation. Her teaching philosophy is encapsulated by the wise words of Albert Einstein: “Learning is experience. Everything else is just information.”
Alexandre (Alex) McCafferty-Leroux received his Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical, with Distinction) from Carleton University (Ottawa, Ontario). He is currently working towards a MASc degree in mechanical engineering at McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario) in the Intelligent and Cognitive Engineering (ICE) Laboratory. Alex’s research project involves the development of a novel experimental CubeSat that will be used for the application of intelligent control and estimation techniques. His research interests include cognitive control, mechatronics, and aerospace engineering applications.
Andrew Newton received his Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical, with Distinction) from the University of Guelph (Guelph, Ontario). He went on to complete his MASc at Guelph, where he designed, fabricated, and programmed a nanosatellite attitude control simulator. He is currently a Research Engineer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University, where he is developing an aircraft-mounted robotic control system for NASA's air-LUSI instrument. Together with air-LUSI team members from McMaster, NIST, NASA, UMBC, and USGS, he received a NASA 2021 Robert H. Goddard Award in Science. His research interests include robotics, computer vision, nonlinear controls, and state estimation, with a particular interest in aerospace applications. Andrew is a Member of IEEE as well as the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society.
Dr. S. Andrew Gadsden is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University and is Director of the Intelligent and Cognitive Engineering (ICE) Laboratory. His research area includes control and estimation theory, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and cognitive systems. Andrew completed his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and Management (Business) and then earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario) in the area of estimation theory with applications to mechatronics and aerospace systems. He worked as a postdoctoral researcher for nearly three years at the Centre for Mechatronics and Hybrid Technology (Hamilton, Ontario). He also worked concurrently as a Project Manager in the pharmaceutical industry (Apotex Inc., Toronto, Ontario). Before joining McMaster University, Andrew was an Associate/Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (USA). He worked and continues to work with a number of colleagues in NASA, the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL), US Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). Andrew is an elected Fellow of ASME, is a Senior Member of IEEE, and is a Professional Engineer of Ontario. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Andrew is an Associate Editor of Expert Systems with Applications and is a reviewer for a number of ASME and IEEE journals and international conferences.
Andrew has been the recipient of numerous international awards and recognitions. In January 2022, Andrew and his fellow air-LUSI project teammates were awarded NASA’s prestigious 2021 Robert H. Goddard Award in Science for their work on developing an airborne lunar spectral irradiance instrument. He also earned the 2019/2020 University Research Excellence Award for the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences based on his research activities at the University of Guelph. Andrew is also a 2019 SPIE Rising Researcher award winner based on his work in intelligent estimation theory, and a 2018 Ontario Early Researcher award (ERA) winner based on his work in intelligent condition monitoring strategies. He was also awarded the 2019 University of Guelph Faculty Association (UGFA) Distinguished Professor Award for Excellence in Teaching in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences based on his teaching effectiveness and pedagogy. Finally, Andrew and his team have received three Best Paper Awards based on research publications.
Sheena Josselyn is a Senior Scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and a Professor in the departments of Psychology and Physiology at the University of Toronto in Canada. Dr. Josselyn holds a Canada Research Chair in Brain Mechanisms underlying Memory, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a Fellow of the National Academy of Medicine (US).
Her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Life Sciences and a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology were granted by Queen’s University in Kingston (Canada). Sheena received a PhD in Neuroscience/Psychology from the University of Toronto with Dr. Franco Vaccarino as her supervisor. She conducted post-doctoral work with Dr. Mike Davis (Yale University) and Dr. Alcino Silva (UCLA).
Dr. Josselyn received numerous awards, including the Innovations in Psychopharmacology Award from the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CCNP), the Effron Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) and the Andrew Carnegie Prize in Mind and Brain Sciences.
Dr. Josselyn is interested in understanding how the brain encodes, stores and uses information. Her primary model organism is mice. However, several human disorders (ranging from autism spectrum disorder to Alzheimer’s disease) may stem from disrupted information processing. Therefore, this basic knowledge in mice is not only critical for understanding normal brain function, but also vital for the development of new treatment strategies for these disorders.
Dr. S. Andrew Gadsden is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University and is Director of the Intelligent and Cognitive Engineering (ICE) Laboratory. His research area includes control and estimation theory, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and cognitive systems. Andrew completed his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and Management (Business) and then earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario) in the area of estimation theory with applications to mechatronics and aerospace systems. He worked as a postdoctoral researcher for nearly three years at the Centre for Mechatronics and Hybrid Technology (Hamilton, Ontario). He also worked concurrently as a Project Manager in the pharmaceutical industry (Apotex Inc., Toronto, Ontario). Before joining McMaster University, Andrew was an Associate/Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (USA). He worked and continues to work with a number of colleagues in NASA, the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL), US Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). Andrew is an elected Fellow of ASME, is a Senior Member of IEEE, and is a Professional Engineer of Ontario. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Andrew is an Associate Editor of Expert Systems with Applications and is a reviewer for a number of ASME and IEEE journals and international conferences.
Andrew has been the recipient of numerous international awards and recognitions. In January 2022, Andrew and his fellow air-LUSI project teammates were awarded NASA’s prestigious 2021 Robert H. Goddard Award in Science for their work on developing an airborne lunar spectral irradiance instrument. He also earned the 2019/2020 University Research Excellence Award for the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences based on his research activities at the University of Guelph. Andrew is also a 2019 SPIE Rising Researcher award winner based on his work in intelligent estimation theory, and a 2018 Ontario Early Researcher award (ERA) winner based on his work in intelligent condition monitoring strategies. He was also awarded the 2019 University of Guelph Faculty Association (UGFA) Distinguished Professor Award for Excellence in Teaching in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences based on his teaching effectiveness and pedagogy. Finally, Andrew and his team have received three Best Paper Awards based on research publications.
Sheena Josselyn is a Senior Scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and a Professor in the departments of Psychology and Physiology at the University of Toronto in Canada. Dr. Josselyn holds a Canada Research Chair in Brain Mechanisms underlying Memory, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a Fellow of the National Academy of Medicine (US).
Her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Life Sciences and a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology were granted by Queen’s University in Kingston (Canada). Sheena received a PhD in Neuroscience/Psychology from the University of Toronto with Dr. Franco Vaccarino as her supervisor. She conducted post-doctoral work with Dr. Mike Davis (Yale University) and Dr. Alcino Silva (UCLA).
Dr. Josselyn received numerous awards, including the Innovations in Psychopharmacology Award from the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CCNP), the Effron Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) and the Andrew Carnegie Prize in Mind and Brain Sciences.
Dr. Josselyn is interested in understanding how the brain encodes, stores and uses information. Her primary model organism is mice. However, several human disorders (ranging from autism spectrum disorder to Alzheimer’s disease) may stem from disrupted information processing. Therefore, this basic knowledge in mice is not only critical for understanding normal brain function, but also vital for the development of new treatment strategies for these disorders.