Keynote Panel Tackling Cancer and Disease Research in Low Earth Orbit Kicks Off ISSRDC 2023

SEATTLE, July 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be nearly two million new cases of cancer diagnosed in 2023, and more than half a million cancer-related deaths. To that end, cancer and other disease-related research on the International Space Station (ISS) is of critical importance not only to NASA, but also to the Biden-Harris administration. This year, the 12^th annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) takes aim at deadly diseases with its Day 1 keynote panel, "Igniting Innovation to Accelerate Disease Research on the ISS."

Ezinne Uzo-Okoro, the assistant director for space policy in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), moderates this important discussion. In 2022, The White House unveiled Cancer Moonshot—an initiative to bring renewed leadership to the fight against cancer. Joining Uzo-Okoro on this panel are Lisa Carnell, division director of Biological and Physical Sciences at NASA, and Michael Roberts, chief scientific officer at the ISS National Laboratory.

This conversation will explore how the National Low Earth Orbit Research and Development Strategy positions the microgravity research community to uniquely contribute to the success of cancer and other disease treatment innovation, and facilitates the development of therapeutics with results that benefit humanity and improve the quality of life for patients on Earth.

Our Day 1 morning keynote panel kicks off ISSRDC 2023, the annual conference that brings together leaders from the commercial sector, U.S. government agencies, and academic communities to foster innovation and discovery onboard the space station. ISSRDC will showcase how the space station continues to provide a valuable platform for research and technology development that benefits humanity and enables a robust and sustainable market in low Earth orbit. 

The conference is hosted by the ISS National Laboratory, managed by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS); NASA; and the American Astronautical Society (AAS) at the Hyatt Regency Seattle July 31-August 3, 2023. To learn more about ISSRDC 2023, including how to register, exhibit, or become a conference sponsor, please visit the conference website.

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About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:  
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.

SOURCE International Space Station National Lab