Speaker Profile
Biography
Dr. Carnell leads NASA's fundamental research in exploration sciences. She previously served as a Program Scientist for Translational Research where she led the divisions strategic partnership initiatives with other government agencies, including NIH, BARDA, FDA, DARPA, NSF, and the USDA. She was also responsible for advancing the divisions commercial engagement initiatives.Dr. Carnell formerly served as the Space Radiation Medical Countermeasure Lead for NASAs Human Research Program. In this role, she was involved in all aspects of understanding and mitigating radiation-induced health effects on humans including cancer, cardiovascular, central nervous system, and acute radiation syndrome.She holds a PhD from Duke University where she studied the effect of physiological and electrical signals on the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.Dr. Carnell holds eight patents, has authored or co-authored several peer-reviewed journal articles, serves on numerous interagency working groups.
Talk
Using Space and Organ-Chips to Advance Precision Health
NASA plans to send organ-chips to deep space. This technology enables researchers to study the effects of extreme radiation and microgravity on human tissue and could inform measures to ensure crew health on future deep-space missions. It could also help transform precision health on Earth, enabling clinicians to tailor medical plans to individual patients.
Clinical & Research Tools< Showcase:
NASA
NASA
Session Abstract – PMWC 2026 Silicon Valley
The PMWC 2025 Clinical & Research Tools Showcase will provide a 15-30 minute time slot for selected companies in this space. The Clinical & Research Tools is a showcase for innovative technologies that are used for the analysis of genetic variation and function, helping to advance breakthroughs in genetic health, rare disease conditions on individuals of all ages, complex diseases and cancer care. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) and microarray technologies empower rapidly evolving genomic revolution.