Dominic Tanzillo

Dominic is a second-year medical student at Duke University with interest in bioastronautics. He is especially fascinated by the problem posed by creating systems that preserve human health under the resource constraints posed by human-space flight and the applications of this research back on Earth. His current research focus include health problems caused by changing fluid dynamics under microgravity, most chiefly Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome.

To help other students discover and enter the field, he has worked with Duke University and Baylor College of Medicine’s Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) to produce several courses on Space Medicine. After the initial success of the course, he and his co-instructor produced the first undergraduate taught digital course: Space Medicine with Duke Learning Innovation. Currently, he has won a grant with the International Space Station and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space to record videos of astronauts in microgravity!

He is now the Chapter Expansion Manager of SEDS USA, firmly committed to expanding access to and diversity within the aerospace industry and encouraging more students to consider the field of bioastronautics.

On Earth, he is committed to addressing social determinants of health and has co-founded a project dedicated to supporting Hispanic women through their gestational diabetes and supports formerly-incarcerated men to find access to healthcare.