When astronauts go into space, their bodies are affected by the change in gravity. Their bones lose mass, their muscles weaken, their body fluid shifts, and their balance destabilizes. But what happens to their brains?

Rachael Seidler, professor of movement science in the School of Kinesiology and the principle investigator of NASA’s “NeuroMapping” research experiment, is trying to answer that question.

“We want to know whether and how long-duration exposure to the spaceflight environment changes brain structure and function,” says Seidler.

Her study has several stages. Before NASA’s astronauts go into space, Seidler tests their balance, motor control and cognition, and scans their brain with an MRI machine. While in space, the astronauts perform tests of their cognitive and motor abilities, and their brains are scanned again upon their return to Earth. 

Seidler also is running a control experiment with participants who perform the same tasks but in a simulated space environment. Experimental subjects lie in bed for 70 days with their head below their feet, which mimics the changes in intracranial pressure that fluid redistribution in space causes.

“With the bed-rest study, we’ve seen a lot of problems with balance, spatial orientation, and a lot of changes in brain structure and brain function that parallel what we expect to see from those in space,” says Seidler, who also is professor of psychology and a research assistant professor at the Medical School’s Institute of Gerontology.

Seidler’s project is the first to measure how the brain changes in space.

“We don’t know how long these changes will last, but my guess is that astronauts will be able to recover over the course of six months to one year,” says Seidler.

Studying astronauts’ capacity for neuroplasticity helps Seidler with her other research on brain functioning.

“Looking at people who are exposed to microgravity for 24 hours a day is an amazing opportunity to see what the human brain is capable of in terms of adapting,” she says.

Her other work relates to how people — both healthy individuals and those with Parkinson’s disease — learn new motor skills. Her lab is studying how non-invasive brain stimulation, like placing electrodes on the skull and applying low currents, can accelerate the learning process.

Seidler became interested in kinesiology in an undergraduate class on the mechanics of human movement that she took with her best friend.

“We thought we’d just sit in the back and talk, but I had broken my arm, and one day the professor called me out to use me as an example of the mechanics of bone breaks,” she says.

Seidler continued to study with that professor, and under her guidance applied to graduate school, where she got a NASA fellowship that sparked her interest in how the brain and body adapt to space.

Seidler has two daughters, and they enjoy physical pursuits like skiing and tennis. She also plays in a tennis league.

Q and A

What moment in the classroom or lab stands out as the most memorable?

Whenever my graduate students complete their Ph.D.’s and we go to their graduation ceremonies. I’m so proud of them.

What can’t you live without?

Coffee. Black.

What is your favorite spot on campus?

The Law Quad. It’s beautiful year-round.

What inspires you?

My students and my family.

What are you currently reading?

I like to read Norwegian crime novels to totally unplug, and I just finished one by Jo Nesbø.

Who had the greatest influence on your career path?

Janet Dufek, a professor who made me pay attention and got me started on the path to grad school.

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• Faculty Spotlight