GALVESTON, Texas (Diya TV) — The University of Texas Medical Branch has named Dr. Ronak V. Shah inaugural chair of its new Department of Aerospace and Exploration Medicine, the university announced Thursday.
The department was established within UTMB’s School of Public and Population Health and expands the university’s existing aerospace medicine program, which has trained physicians and other professionals in aviation and human spaceflight medicine for more than three decades.
Shah has directed UTMB’s Aerospace Medicine Division since February 2022, overseeing its educational, business and strategic operations. He also leads a multidisciplinary team that provides space medicine and research support to NASA.
Before joining the division, Shah worked at NASA in space medicine operations, research and clinical care. He served as medical director of clinical services in NASA’s Space Medicine Operations Division from 2017 to 2022 and previously served as medical director at Johnson Space Center.
Shah completed UTMB’s Aerospace Medicine Residency and is board certified in aerospace medicine and internal medicine. He has also served as president of the Society of NASA Flight Surgeons and has published peer-reviewed research in aerospace medicine.
The new department will focus on research, education and medical approaches for aviation, spaceflight and other environments where distance, isolation and limited resources affect health care and human performance.
UTMB also plans to launch an Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Fellowship in 2027 as part of the department’s expansion into medicine for other extreme environments.
