The Department of Family and Community Medicine, lead Dr.Baraa Alghalyini, organized an exciting talk on Space Medicine which was conducted by scientist Dr. Wijdan Al-Ahmadi, a specialist in the field from King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre who was heavily involved with the recent Saudi Space Mission.
Space Medicine is an emerging medical field of interest, the talk titled “Biomedical Research, Innovations and Biotechnologies”, aimed to introduce this track to third-year medical students and individuals interested in exploring the pathways available in Space Medicine. The lecture was incorporated into the syllabus for COM358: Family Medicine 1.
Dr. Wijdan started by exploring the residency tracks available to pursue this career. She walked through the physiology of space travel- what happens to the human body before, during and after travelling to space (fluid shifts, cardiovascular diseases, kidney, muscle and bone loss, GI system disturbances, psychological impact) and the key considerations and countermeasures taken. She addressed the conditions of zero gravity and their impact on emergency care.
Explaining the benefits of conducting research in space, she shared some of the research projects she works on. She emphasized the impact of research conducted on the International Space Station on both health interventions and innovations, showing examples of innovations that originated in space. It was an insightful discussion that demystified Space Medicine for the future doctors.
