MEET THE TEAM
Dr Nadia Karrim is a specialist ENT/Head and Neck Surgeon with clinical, surgical, and management experience in South Africa, Ireland, the UK, and international waters. Her medical background spans ear, nose, and throat surgery; general surgery; trauma; emergency medicine; and maritime, aviation and space medicine. She is also trained in advanced trauma, cardiac and paediatric life support. She holds a master’s degree in medicine and two postgraduate diplomas in Aviation and Space medicine. ​She has completed the Space Studies Program at the International Space University, and the European Space Agency’s Space Physician Training course. She has also trained in altitude and hypoxia awareness, high-G exposure, pressure breathing, and sea-survival and egress at private and military facilities in the UK and the US. She has contributed to undergraduate and post-graduate education in South Africa and the UK, in the fields of ENT and Aerospace Medicine.
DR NADIA KARRIM
FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR
ENT/HEAD AND NECK SURGEON
Dr. Scott Parazynski, a former NASA astronaut, physician, mountaineer, pilot, diver, and inventor, offers valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of adapting to high-stress environments. With a diverse background and extensive accomplishments, his journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. During his 17-year career as an astronaut, he flew five Space Shuttle Missions, completed seven spacewalks, and spent over eight weeks in space. Dr. Parazynski's achievements include global ozone mapping, joint US-Russian spacewalks, serving as Senator John Glenn's crewmate, and contributing to the assembly of the Canadian-built space station arm. He is also an accomplished mountaineer, having reached the summit of Mount Everest, a seasoned pilot with over 2,500 flight hours, and a published expert in space physiology. Currently serving as an industry advisor for ICAD, his vast experience and expertise continue to inspire and contribute to various fields.
DR SCOTT PARAZYNSKI
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT
MEDICAL DOCTOR
Kris Lehnhardt is the Element Scientist for Exploration Medical Capability in the NASA Human Research Program, and Associate Professor and Attending Physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Center for Space Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, USA. He is board certified in Emergency Medicine, has an MD from Western University, an Hons. BSc in Bio-Medical Sciences from the University of Guelph, and serves as a Medical Specialist reservist in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
DR KRIS LEHNHARDT
RESEARCH/ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
ELEMENT SCIENTIST, ExMC, NASA HRP
EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN
Elizabeth Blome has worked at the Johnson Space Center for over 25 years. Elizabeth has experience in space operations, program management, logistics, systems engineering and integration, international partnerships, business partnership development, and commercial space. She has worked as Space Shuttle flight controller, taught robotics to astronauts, and interfaced with the European, Japanese, and Russian space agencies. She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University and a MS in Space Studies from the International Space University. She is an instrument rated pilot, a SCUBA diver, and has also flown over 200 microgravity parabolas.
ELIZABETH BLOME
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM, SUBORBITAL CREW TECHNICAL INTEGRATION, NASA
Erik Seedhouse works as an Assistant Professor in Applied Aviation Sciences at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). He is also Manager of ERAU's Suborbital Spaceflight Simulator and Editor-in-Chief of Springer's major reference work, The Handbook of Life Support Systems for Spacecraft and Extraterrestrial Habitats. A prolific author, Erik has published more than 20 books on the subject of manned space exploration, including 'SpaceX, 'Virgin Galactic', Bigelow Aerospace' and 'XCOR'. Between 2008 and 2013 he served as director of Canada’s manned centrifuge and hypobaric operations and in 2009 he was one of the final 30 candidates in the Canadian Space Agency’s Astronaut Recruitment Campaign. In his spare time he works as a professional speaker, triathlon coach and author. When not enjoying the sun on Florida's Space Coast he divides his time between his second home in Sandefjord and Waikoloa.
DR ERIK SEEDHOUSE
RESEARCH/ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
ASSOC. PROF., EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY
Logan is a current Masters student in Medical Physiology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. He is part of the Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA) where his main focus is to further elucidate the relationship between psychosocial stress and cardio-metabolic diseases. He also has a strong interest in clinical practice, space medicine and a passion for community.
At ICAD, he serves as a member of the South African Ground team and is involved in the organisation and implementation of outreach activities. He has also represented ICAD at the World Science Forum (2022) which was held in Cape Town. He firmly believes that we have a duty to enrich and improve the lives of others and in turn, to strive for excellence ourselves. Aside from this he is a student leader at Stellenbosch medical campus, and in his spare time, he interacts with school students to assist them with actualising their true potential.
LOGAN SMITH
GROUND TEAM: SOUTH AFRICA
MASTERS STUDENT, MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY, STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY
PARTNERS
_edited.png){kind=logo}