The Nader Sisters Join First-Ever Study on Women's Reproductive, Sleep, and Circadian Health in Extreme Polar Environments

In partnership with the Space Prize Foundation, NYU Langone Health, and the University of Arizona

NEW YORK, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nader Sisters and the Space Prize Foundation are proud to announce their participation in a landmark, science-driven expedition to Svalbard, Norway, April 2026. Conducted in collaboration with Dr. Reut Sorek-Abramovich, researchers at NYU Langone Health, and the University of Arizona, the mission will contribute to the first-ever study examining how extreme polar environments affect women's health, specifically reproductive, sleep, and circadian rhythms. 

The research, titled eXtreme Environment and Reproductive Sleep and Circadian Health (Xtreme Research), is led by Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy, Director of the Center for Sleep, Circadian and Neuroscience Research at the University of Arizona. The study aims to explore how cold temperatures, isolation, and disrupted light-dark cycles, which are conditions that mirror those found in space, affect women's hormonal balance, menstrual cycles, sleep patterns, and overall physiological adaptation. 

In addition to the mission's physical health research, experts at NYU Langone Health, led by Dr. Moriah Thomason and Dr. Katharina Schultebraucks, will contribute critical expertise in understanding how extreme conditions affect stress, behavior, and brain function. The NYU Langone team will develop the video tools needed to track how the body and mind react in these environments. Combined with sleep and body-clock studies from the University of Arizona, this work will help build one of the most comprehensive datasets to date on women's health in the Arctic and other harsh environments. 

"This partnership brings together explorers, scientists, and advocates to answer one of the most important questions of our time: how women's bodies respond and adapt to the harshest environments on Earth, and beyond," said Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy. 

Despite growing interest in space and polar science, there have been almost no studies on how extreme environmental conditions affect women's reproductive and circadian health," said Dr.  Reut Sorek-Abramovich. "Previous research has largely focused on men, yet evidence suggests women are more susceptible to sleep disruption and hormonal imbalances under extreme light dark cycles." 

Through Xtreme Research, data will be collected from the Nader Sisters and fellow explorers before, during, and after the expedition, tracking sleep quality, menstrual cycles, and circadian rhythm shifts through advanced physiological monitoring. The research will employ wearable technology and salivary melatonin and hormone testing to assess how women's bodies regulate themselves when exposed to 24-hour daylight, sub-zero temperatures, and high physical stress.

Measurements will be conducted at three stages: 

1. Baseline testing at the University of Arizona's sleep and circadian laboratory in Tucson, which simulates International Space Station conditions. 
   
   
2. Field data collection in Svalbard during the expedition using portable sleep-monitoring and biosample tools. 
   
   
3. Post-travel assessments to analyze recovery and physiological recalibration after returning from the Arctic. 

The findings will help address a critical gap in medical and space-science research, with implications for women's health on Earth and for the feasibility of human reproduction and long duration space travel. 

During the week-long Arctic expedition, the Nader Sisters will traverse glacier valleys and fjords by snowmobile and cross-country skis, carrying their own supplies and conducting field research and physiological tracking alongside scientists. The expedition will be planned and led by RÊVE Travel Club in partnership with renowned polar explorer Inge Solheim, known for leading record-setting missions to both the North and South Poles, including Prince Harry's Walking With The Wounded expeditions. Their participation extends their ongoing commitment to women's empowerment and health advocacy, from supporting survivors of domestic violence through Freedom & Fashion to mentoring young women through The Fresh Air Fund and the Young Women's Giving Circle. 

"This is both a scientific contribution and a cultural statement," the Nader Sisters said. "We see this as a chance to continue the conversation we've been having around women's health into a new frontier – what our bodies are capable of when tested at the extremes. We hope our participation inspires more women to take part in future research and help grow the data and visibility this field needs." 

Findings from Xtreme Research will be presented at global scientific conferences including the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (May 2026) and the SLEEP Meeting (June 2026), with the results to be submitted for publication in a leading peer-reviewed journal. The data and insights collected from this expedition represent an initial step in a larger initiative by the Nader Sisters to help inform future tools and platforms designed to advance understanding of women's health.

Together, the Space Prize Foundation, University of Arizona, NYU Langone Health, and the Nader Sisters are uniting science, exploration, and advocacy to expand understanding of women's resilience on Earth and beyond. 

About the Nader Sisters
Louisiana-born and New York–based, the Nader Sisters — Brooks, Mary Holland, Grace Ann, and Sarah Jane — have become one of fashion and pop culture's most dynamic families. Brooks first rose to fame as a breakout star with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, where she was named a SI Swimsuit Legend. Collectively, The Sisters have graced the covers of Sports Illustrated, Maxim, Us Weekly, and Modern Luxury, and fronted campaigns for global brands including Patrick Ta, MAC Cosmetics, Clarins, Charlotte Tilbury, Alice + Olivia, Juicy Couture, and Athleta. In August 2025, they debuted their critically acclaimed docuseries Love Thy Nader, executive produced by Jimmy Kimmel, which airs on Hulu and Freeform. Beyond fashion and media, the sisters are equally committed to giving back. Each brings her own passion to this collective effort: Sarah Jane champions LGBTQ+ advocacy, Mary Holland advances financial literacy for women, Brooks supports nutrition and food security through her work with City Harvest, and Grace Ann advocates for women's health. Together, they embody a modern vision of style, influence, and social impact. 

About the Space Prize Foundation
The Space Prize Foundation is a nonprofit committed to promoting women in STEAM and gender equity in the space economy in order to create a more hopeful future for humanity. The first Space Prize Challenge was designed with a focus on high school women in New York City public schools. It has since expanded nationally and globally with challenges being hosted in Paris, Portugal, and Los Angeles. The foundation has also created its Space Education Curriculum as the first open source space curriculum, dedicated to preparing students for the growing space economy and for humanity's rapidly approaching multi-planet future.

About University of Arizona
Established in 1885, the University of Arizona is the state's flagship, land-grant institution and a global leader in research, innovation, and discovery. A top-ranked Research 1 university and member of the Association of American Universities, the University drives a $1 billion research enterprise across disciplines spanning health, space science, and sustainability. The university is home to the Center for Sleep, Circadian and Neuroscience Research, led by Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy, which advances understanding of sleep, circadian rhythms, and human performance in extreme environments and beyond.

About NYU Langone Health
NYU Langone Health is a fully integrated health system that consistently achieves the best patient outcomes through a rigorous focus on quality that has resulted in some of the lowest mortality rates in the nation. Vizient Inc. has ranked NYU Langone No. 1 out of 118 comprehensive academic medical centers across the nation for four years in a row, and U.S. News & World Report recently ranked four of its clinical specialties No. 1 in the nation. NYU Langone offers a comprehensive range of medical services with one high standard of care across seven inpatient locations, its Perlmutter Cancer Center, and more than 320 outpatient locations in the New York area and Florida. The system also includes two tuition-free medical schools, in Manhattan and on Long Island, and a vast research enterprise.

About Dr. Reut Sorek-Abramovich
Dr. Reut Sorek-Abramovich is an astrobiologist, analog astronaut, and International Fellow of The Explorers Club whose work explores how humans adapt and thrive in extreme environments on Earth and in space. As Science Director of Horizons of Change and co-founder of Ark-Terra, she leads research at the intersection of sustainability, human resilience, and space exploration. Dr. Sorek-Abramovich has participated in multiple Mars analog missions and polar expeditions and collaborates with leading global institutions to advance women's health, astrobiology, and life support science for future space travel.  

CONTACT: Leong Sim, [email protected]

SOURCE Space Prize Foundation