Research
Women's Health in Space
Pioneering academic research studying women’s health in space
The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is studying innovative research with Dr. Begum Mathyk leading discovery in reproductive studies and women's health in space. Dr. Mathyk’s mission is to boldly go where no OB-GYN has gone before – and in June 2024, she published two articles as the lead author in a special research collection by Nature Portfolio, Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) across orbits, one of the nation's leading research outlets, on how space affects human biology. Her research and its relevance are also highlighted in an interview with National Geographic.
Dr. Mathyk has targeted specific research areas to gain a greater understanding of space travel on women, such as menopause, menstrual irregularities, and the possible effects on fertility or infertility, as well as gynecological surgery and imaging.
Dr. Begum Mathyk discusses how USF Health OB-GYN blazes a trail into the final frontier: studying women’s health in space.
Why women’s health matters in space
As the number of female astronauts increases it is essential to understand and address their unique health needs and sex differences, to ensure the well-being of the crew for longer missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Space presents its own distinct risk factors and challenges for humans as outlined by the NASA acronym RIDGE; Radiation, Isolation and confinement, Distance from Earth, Gravity fields, and hostile/closed Environments. Each factor could impact women’s health in various ways. The female reproductive life cycle is dynamic and changes from birth through menopause and postmenopause with each stage presenting varying characteristics. Baseline risk factors are also individual and may also be important for space travel. Therefore, for future long-term missions beyond LEO, there are multiple aspects and research questions needed to be addressed surrounding women’s health in space.
“My interest is space biology and doing my best to advocate for women’s health on Earth and beyond."- Dr. Begum Mathyk
Dr. Mathyk completed the NASA Aerospace Medicine Clerkship at the Johnson Space Center and the NASA Spaceflight Technology, Applications, and Research (STAR) Program. She is an active member of NASA OSDR Analysis Working Groups, space biology, and aerospace medicine communities. Dr. Mathyk currently serves as Chair of the NASA OSDR Female Reproduction Analysis Working Group. She is an Associate Partner and Lecturer in the Space Medicine Master's Program at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Women's Health Chair of the Space Medicine Group at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences, and a Founding Member and Co-Principal Investigator of the USF ASTRA Space Center Initiative.
Her research focuses on women's health and reproductive endocrinology in spaceflight, spanning clinical, translational, and operational space medicine. She has led several first-in-field studies on reproductive health in altered gravity environments, including investigations of gynecologic ultrasound and the vaginal microbiome during spaceflight analogs. Dr. Mathyk performed the first gynecologic ultrasound in weightlessness and has contributed to advancing the understanding of female reproductive health in spaceflight. She serves as an investigator on NIH/NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) funded research projects and is Principal Investigator of the HerSpace project. Dr. Mathyk has authored more than 100 peer reviewed publications and serves as an invited speaker at major national and international conferences in reproductive medicine, aerospace medicine, and space biology, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, Association of American Medical Colleges, Aerospace Medical Association, American Society for Gravitational and Space Research, NASA Human Research Program, International Astronautical Congress, and International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine.
Dr. Mathyk's continued research interests focus on women's health and reproductive endocrinology in space. Through collaborations with government, commercial, and international space organizations, she seeks to translate scientific discoveries into spaceflight healthcare guidelines, medical technologies, and countermeasures that advance women's health and support safe human space exploration during future commercial, lunar, and deep-space missions.
Dr. Mathyk’s Space Research Highlights
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77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026): Special Session Panelist "Advancing Diagnostic Imaging in Space: From Ultrasound to radiography and Beyond
Woman, Mother + Baby Research Institute (WoMB) Seminar Series, Tufts Medical Center - Invited Speaker
45th International Society for Gravitational Physiology (ISGP) Congress - Oral presentation
97th Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) Conference - Oral presentation
RedBull Basement “It Takes One Idea to Make An Impact” - Invited Panel Speaker
South by Southwest (SXSW) - Invited Panelist
USF Microbiomes Institute - Invited Speaker
Tufts Medical Center Endocrinology Department - Grand Rounds
Reproductive Sciences Seminar Program (RSSP), Yale Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences - Invited Speaker
Parabolic Flight Induces Site Specific Microbiome Changes in Women - Publication
Reproductive biomedicine in space: implications for gametogenesis, fertility and ethical considerations in the era of commercial spaceflight - Publication
Voice AI Symposium & Hackathon: Vocal Biomarkers for Precision Space Medicine: Findings from an Initial Feasibility Study During the IIAS02 Parabolic Flight - Poster Presentation
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Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin SPACEMED Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree on Physiology and Medicine of Humans in Space and Extreme Environments - Associated Partner
Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI) Conference - Invited speaker and Mini-Symposium Moderator
Female Reproductive Endocrinology: To the Moon and Beyond
USF Department of Medical Engineering - Guest Lecturer
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Webinar series - Invited Speaker
American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), Reproduction in Space: Challenges and Innovations for Human Spaceflight - Roundtable Speaker
Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), Surgery in Space: Realities and Challenges of Procedural
Medicine and Critical Care For Exploration-Class Space Missions’. Handheld Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Gynecological Imaging Under Microgravity - Panelist
The International IVF Initiatives, Female Reproductive Health in Space - Invited Speaker
Yeditepe University, Women’s Health Studies in the Field of Space Medicine - Invited Speaker
International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine (ICASM 2025), Space Flight, Sex Differences, and Clinical Considerations in Women’s Health - Oral Presentation
American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) TEA Conference, Advancing Women’s Healthcare: Key Challenges and Innovation - Invited Speaker
Handheld Point-of-Care Ultrasonography for Gynecology: Insights Into Space Travel Through Parabolic Flight - Publication; Green Journal Special Issue: Innovations in Gynecology; Cited in NASA Task Book Current Awareness List
Multi-omics Profiling of Individuals Sustaining Extreme Physical Stressors - Publication
Leveraging synthetic imagery and YOLOv8 for a novel colorimetric approach to paper-based point-of-care male fertility testing - Publication
American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) Adrenal Gland Response to Spaceflight and Simulated Radiation Exposure - Poster Presentation
NASA Human Research Program (HRP) Investigator’s Workshop (IWS) Presenter
Investigating Women’s Health in Space A Research Pipeline Proposal Beyond LEO and Current Challenges
Handheld Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Gynecological Imaging Under Microgravity
Intrauterine Device Insertion and Removal in Microgravity.
Book Chapter, Metabolic and Endocrine Changes in Spaceflight. In: Waisberg E, Ong J, Lee GA, eds. Fundamentals of Space Medicine and Clinical Technology. Elsevier
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Parabolic Flight/ZeroG experiments: Microgravity Science Flight Campaign at National Research Council Canada (NRC) in collaboration with International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS). During this parabolic flight campaign:
First gynecologic ultrasound self-scanning under ZeroG was performed.
First time research on vaginal microbiome to assess the impact of gravitational forces.
First intrauterine device (IUD) placement on a model under ZeroG in collaboration with Dr. Shawna Pandya, Dr. Norah Patten and Kellie Gerardi
Gametogenesis and Embryogenesis Research on Moon from an Embryologist’s Perspective. Lunar Surface Science Workshop (LSSW) 2024.
NASA OSDR FemaleRepro Analysis Working Group (AWG) Chair.
Nature Portfolio package:
Spaceflight induces changes in gene expression profiles linked to insulin and estrogen.
Understanding how space travel affects the female reproductive system to the Moon and beyond.
Single-cell multi-ome and immune profiles of the Inspiration4 crew reveal conserved, cell-type, and sex-specific responses to spaceflight (co-author, analysis of sex differences in immune cells).
.NASA OSDR AWG Annual Symposium - Speaker
Female Reproductive Health in Space.
Yale Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Academics - Invited speaker.
Space Health Meet an Expert, University of Melbourne - Invited lecture.
Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI) Conference - Poster presentation
Understanding the interplay of preeclampsia and spaceflight.
USF Research Day - Poster presentation
Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) meeting, Women’s Health Considerations for Commercial Spaceflight Medical Screening: A Scoping Review.
Book chapter; Spaceflight implications for precision medicine in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology and its subspecialties. Precision Medicine for Long and Safe Permanence of Humans in Space.
Women’s Aerospace Network Award in Medicine and Health category. Acknowledges significant strides in astronaut health research, enhancing space exploration by ensuring astronaut safety through medical discoveries.
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- NASA GeneLab AWG Symposium - Presenter
- American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) Conference - Oral and poster presentations, ASGSR Art Award
- Mitochondria and hormone-linked gene alterations in the mammary gland during spaceflight
- Spaceflight induces changes in gene expression profiles linked to insulin and estrogen
- ASGSR Art Award: 1st place in technical and artistic categories. ‘Beyond Boundaries: Women’s Reproductive Odyssey’
- Turkish Society of Reproductive Medicine (TSRM) Conference - Invited speaker
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- Pacific Coast Reproductive Society (PCRS) - Poster presentation
- NIH Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Academics - Invited speaker
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- American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Conference - Oral presentation
NASA Spotlight
Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) across orbits
Nature Portfolio highlights new studies on astronauts and space biology bringing humanity one step closer to the final frontier.
Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) across orbits
Innovative contribution to women's health in space
Fathi Karouia, Ph.D, Senior Research Scientist at NASA recognizes Dr. Begum Mathyk on LinkedIn for her recent research accomplishments in women's health in space.
Innovative contribution to women's health in space
Publications
Spaceflight induces changes in gene expression profiles linked to insulin and estrogen
We have entered an era in which living and working in space is a reality. Studies show that spaceflight has health risks such as central nervous system and cardiovascular dysfunction, cancer risk, immune dysregulation, muscle and bone loss, and fatty liver. At the molecular level, risks include oxidative stress, DNA damage, cosmic radiation exposure, mitochondrial dysfunction, microbiome shift, and epigenetic alterations
Spaceflight induces changesUnderstanding how space travel affects the female reproductive system
The new NASA decadal survey marks a significant milestone in shaping the future of space research. It highlights the critical importance of understanding female biology in the next decade of NASA’s scientific endeavors. The survey underscores the need for dedicated fundamental and applied research efforts to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of women during extended space missions by highlighting the physiologic complexities that female astronauts may face in space.
Space travel and the female reproductive system