Skip to main content
Elsevier

Spaceflight Ophthalmology and Medicine

A Comprehensive Guide to Ocular Health and Related Systemic Health Risks in Astronauts and Space Travelers

  • 1st Edition - January 1, 2027
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: Ryung Lee, Joshua Ong, Ethan Waisberg, John Berdahl, Andrew G. Lee
  • Language: English

Spaceflight Ophthalmology and Medicine: A Comprehensive Guide to Ocular Health and Related Systemic Health Risks in Astronauts and Space Travelers provides a comprehensive explor… Read more

Description

Spaceflight Ophthalmology and Medicine: A Comprehensive Guide to Ocular Health and Related Systemic Health Risks in Astronauts and Space Travelers provides a comprehensive exploration of ocular health issues faced by astronauts during space missions. The book brings together contributions from leading experts in various fields, addressing the multifaceted risk factors associated with spaceflight and their implications for vision and overall health. Sections examine risk factors for ophthalmic diseases, including the effects of microgravity, space radiation, and oxidative stress, and explore innovative approaches in spaceflight ophthalmology, such as advanced diagnostic techniques and potential treatments for ocular conditions specific to the space environment. This book serves as an essential resource for researchers, clinicians, and space medicine professionals. By offering insights into the latest research and practical applications, it enhances understanding of ocular health in space and promotes the development of effective strategies to ensure astronaut safety and mission success.

Key features

  • Provides a multidisciplinary perspective on the ocular health challenges faced by astronauts
  • Explores innovative diagnostic and treatment approaches specific to spaceflight, including advancements in oculomics and 3D bioprinting, which enhance our understanding and management of ocular disorders in microgravity
  • Addresses critical risk factors for ophthalmic diseases in space, such as microgravity effects, space radiation, and oxidative stress

Readership

Professionals in the fields of ophthalmology, aerospace medicine, and space sciences

Table of contents

1. Clinical Implications of µG

2. Space Radiation

3. Circadian Rhythm and Long-Duration Spaceflight

4. Behavioral Health

5. Oxidative Stress and Spaceflight

6. Environmental Hazards

7. Impact of Social Isolation

8. Space Immunology

9. Cognitive Impairment in Long-Duration Spaceflight

10. Cardiovascular System

11. Stress and the HPA Axis

12. Paradox of Aging in Spaceflight

13. Brain-Eye-Liver Axis

14. Contributors to Gut Microbiology

15. Molecular Biology of the Eye

16. Food and Nutrition and the Eye

17. Pharmacology. Ophthalmic Side Effects

SECTION 2. The New Frontier in Spaceflight Ophthalmology

18. Medical and Physiologic Risk Factors

19. Vision Standards and Assessment

20. Refraction Options for Astronauts

21. Refractive Surgery for Astronauts

22. Intraocular Lens Optimized for Spaceflight

23. Spaceflight-Associated Dry Eye Syndrome

24. Regolith, Corneal Abrasions, and Ulcers

25. Viral Reactivation and Ocular Surface Infection

26. Extended Reality Technology

27. Ocular Surface Malignancies and Limbal Epithelial Stem Cells

28. Oculomics in Spaceflight

PART 1.

29. Ocular Trauma and 3D Bioprinting

PART 2.

30. Spaceflight Cataracts

31. Molecular Mechanisms of Spaceflight Cataracts

32. Anterior Segment Diagnosis in Spaceflight. Lessons from Histopathologic Correlates

33. Personalized and Precision Medicine and Differential Gene Expression

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: January 1, 2027
  • Language: English

About the editors

RL

Ryung Lee

Ryung Lee is a budding space medicine researcher with broad interests within the NASA Space Medicine Operations Division. As a protégé of Dr. Andrew Lee and Dr. Joshua Ong, he has led many new initiatives in this domain, including spaceflight associated dry eye syndrome (SADES), oculomics in spaceflight, and anterior segment diagnostics. As a Korean American, he hopes to see further international collaboration between KASA (Korean Aeronautics and Space Administration) and NASA
Affiliations and expertise
Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, USA

JO

Joshua Ong

Joshua Ong, MD is a resident physician with a passion for protecting astronaut health. He has conducted research on several space medicine research projects, including a project that launched into space. He has presented at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Research Program Investigators' Workshop and strives to continue his lifelong journey in ophthalmology and space medicine.
Affiliations and expertise
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

EW

Ethan Waisberg

Dr. Ethan Waisberg is an Academic Foundation Doctor at the University of Cambridge, in the UK. He conducts research in Spaceflight Associate Neuro-Ocular Syndrome, is a member of of NASA's Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Working Group and has co-published leading papers in space medicine, neuro-ophthalmology, extended reality, and artificial intelligence.
Affiliations and expertise
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

JB

John Berdahl

Dr. Berdahl is a dedicated ophthalmic surgeon known for his innovative approach to patient care and trust-building in vulnerable moments. His passion for surgical excellence has led him to co-invent the MKO melt, providing sedation during cataract surgeries without IVs or opioids, and to develop Interfeen, a drug for ocular conditions. He also founded astigmatismfix.com to assist surgeons in minimizing residual astigmatism post-surgery and co-founded ExpertOpinion.MD for patients to seek medical opinions from world experts. As the founder of Balance Ophthalmics, he created a non-surgical method for glaucoma treatment, which received FDA approval in 2024. Dr. Berdahl is committed to advancing ophthalmology through collaboration and education, earning multiple accolades, including the 2024 Chester B. McVay Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research. His extensive education includes training at prestigious institutions such as Mayo Clinic and Duke University.
Affiliations and expertise
Mayo Clinic and Duke University, USA

AL

Andrew G. Lee

Dr. Lee began his academic career in 1994 as an Instructor in the Department of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine, becoming an Associate Professor in 1998. In 2000, he joined the University of Iowa as an Associate Professor and later became a full Professor. He serves on the editorial boards of 12 journals, including the American Journal of Ophthalmology, and is the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Academic Ophthalmology. A recipient of multiple awards from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dr. Lee has a strong interest in resident training and has published extensively on teaching methods in ophthalmology residency programs. In 2009, he joined Houston Methodist Hospital and Research Institute, where he currently serves as Chair of the Blanton Eye Institute and is a Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Affiliations and expertise
Blanton Eye Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United States; Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA