Note: Release and image are available at www.nsbri.org/newsflash/indivArticle.asp?id=454&articleID=140.

HOUSTON, April 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Before the era of human spaceflight, animals were the first to go where no human had gone before.

Dr. Joseph V. Brady, a behavioral neuroscientist, was responsible for training some of the first U.S. spacefarers – monkeys Able and Miss Baker, and Ham the Chimp. For this work that helped set the stage for early U.S. human spaceflights, the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) is honoring the Founder of the Institutes for Behavior Resources (IBR) with its Pioneer Award. Brady, whose career spans more than six decades, is currently a professor of behavioral biology at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

The presentation will occur Monday at IBR's 50th Anniversary Gala, which begins at 6 p.m. at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. Scheduled to present the award are NASA Administrator Gen. Charles Bolden, NSBRI Director Dr. Jeffrey P. Sutton, and former NASA Astronaut and NSBRI User Panel Chairman Dr. Leroy Chiao.

"Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Brady has been a pioneer," Sutton said. "It is only fitting that we honor Dr. Brady during the fiftieth year of human spaceflight, an era in which he played a role in launching, as well as the fiftieth anniversary of IBR, an organization that was established under his leadership."

NSBRI's Pioneer Award recognizes individuals whose efforts and accomplishments have blazed new trails on behalf of the Institute, its partnership with NASA and the space biomedical community at large. The award was established in 2009.

Brady is still active in space research as an investigator for NSBRI and NASA. He served as the Associate Team Leader for NSBRI's Neurobehavioral and Psychosocial Factors Team from 2004 to 2010.

He has also made a tremendous mark outside of the spaceflight community. Brady is known for his work in substance use disorders treatment and for making major advances in behavioral pharmacology.

NSBRI, funded by NASA, is a consortium of institutions studying the health risks related to long-duration spaceflight and developing the medical technologies needed for long missions. NSBRI's science, technology and education projects take place at more than 60 institutions across the United States. In addition to protecting astronaut health, NSBRI research has benefits for health care on Earth.

Notes:

For more information about Dr. Joe Brady, please visit: http://neuroscience.jhu.edu/JosephBrady.php

For more information about NSBRI, please visit: www.nsbri.org

For more information about the Institute for Behavior Resources 50th Anniversary Gala, please visit: http://www.ibrinc.org/anniversary/.

SOURCE National Space Biomedical Research Institute

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