About Us
What on Earth is Space Surgery?
Surgery is a part of modern life—the average person globally undergoes roughly one surgical procedure every 25 years of their life. Some of the most common operations are the removal of appendix and the removal of gallbladder, which are prompted by acute medical conditions.
As humanity ventures further into space, we will be exposed to extreme environments for longer periods of time. Should an acute medical condition that requires surgery arise in spaceflight, we must be prepared.
Our History
The Space Surgery Association (SSA) was founded in 2019 by a group of surgeons, procedural medicine physicians and specialists, scientists, and engineers working jointly to develop capabilities to perform surgery in the spaceflight environment. We are an constituent organization of AsMA, the Aerospace Medical Association, and meet annually at the AsMA conference.
Executive Committee
President
Lisa Brown, MBChB, PhD, FRACS, AFAsMA
President-Elect
Rowena Christiansen, MD
Secretary
Dwight Holland, MD, PhD, FAsHFA, FAsMA, FRAeS
Treasurer
Mark Melin, MD, FACS, RPVI, FACCWS
Parliamentarian
Rachel Wagner
Member-At-Large
Edson Oliveira
Member-At-Large
Luis Moscote
Membership Chair
Nils Willander
Webmaster
Sara Rothrock
Immediate Past President
George Pantalos, PhD, FAIMBE
Second-to-Last Past President
Danielle Carroll, MD, MS, ME, FAWM
Our Sponsor
We are deeply grateful for the support of Virtual Incision, whose generosity and partnership enables us to make a lasting impact. Click on their logo to learn more about their work.
Our Partners & Collaborators
We extend our gratitude to these incredible organizations for their collaboration and shared dedication to our mission. Learn more about their work by clicking on their logos.
