Thesis Proposal by Sophie Orr on August 2nd
Space Studies master’s student, Sophie Orr, will give her thesis proposal presentation as follows. All Space Studies students and faculty are encouraged to attend.
When: Wednesday, August 2nd at 2:00 pm
Where: Clifford Hall, room 521 – Space Studies Conference Room (note different location than usual)
Title: Effects of Suited and Unsuited Locomotor Gaits in Simulated Fractional Gravity Environments on Muscles of the Leg
About the topic: Past efforts have focused on the energy difference between different locomotion methods in fractional gravity at different speeds, suggesting that skipping is energetically more efficient than walking and running in these environments. While this may be more beneficial from an energy standpoint it is important to understand the full range of reasons behind the gait transition. Humans tend to change from walking to running near a pace of the 4.5mph due to a perceived decrease in effort expenditure. However, walking is actually less energy demanding than running at this speed, but the strain on the dorsiflexor muscles increases. In a space environment, these factors will play a role in astronaut health and injury prevention. By using electromyography to assess the impact of these types of locomotion in simulated fractional gravity environments, we can determine which locomotion methods are most advantageous to astronauts.
About the presenter: Sophie is a third year Space Studies graduate student interested in human adaptations to space and future colonization missions. She graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.S. in Evolutionary Anthropology in 2015 and hopes to continue her education past the SpSt M.S. to a doctoral degree in a medical field. Last summer she participated in two internships, one at NASA Ames researching rodent habitats for the ISS, and the other with Anacapa Science, Inc. doing audio/video journal transcriptions for a study at NASA’s HERA facility.
This presentation will not be webcast.