Physician/Scientist
Holder of the NASA Space Medal and inducted into the International Women's Forum Hall of Fame and Canadian Medical Hall of Fame for her groundbreaking research in space medicine, Roberta Bondar has also received 24 honorary doctorates from Canadian and American universities.
The world's First neurologist in space, Dr. Bondar is globally recognized for her contributions to space medicine. On the space shuttle Discovery mission STS 42 in 1992, Dr. Bondar conducted scientific experiments in the First International Microgravity Laboratory.
For more than a decade at NASA, Dr. Bondar headed an international space medicine research team, continuing to find new connections between astronauts recovering from the microgravity of space and neurological illnesses here on Earth such as stroke and Parkinson's disease. Dr. Bondar's techniques have been used in clinical studies at BI Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and at the University of New Mexico.
Throughout her career, Dr. Bondar has maintained a deep interest in our own natural environment, here on Earth. A respected advisor to industry and government, she was recently selected as Canada's first national 'Biotechnology Champion'. She was also honoured as Canada's national patron of UNESCOs International Year of Planet Earth which continues through 2010, and has spoken to diverse scientific, corporate and environmental organizations about social responsibility and our environment.
Dr. Bondar was Chair of the Working Group on Environmental Education for the Province of Ontario. All 32 recommendations of the working group were accepted by the Minster of Education for implementation to strengthen environmental education for elementary and secondary school students.
Shaping Our Schools Shaping Our Future, Report of the Working Group on Environmental Education, June 2007.
Dr. Bondar has completed the National Disaster Life Support Instructor course after training for both Basic and Advanced Disaster Life Support, according to the standards established by the USA National Disaster Life Support Education Consortium TM. She holds medical licenses in New Mexico, Ontario and is a Canadian Board Certified Neurologist with a subspecialty in Neuro-ophthalmology.
BONDAR FAST FACTS
For almost 20 years, Dr. Roberta Bondar has been on the scientific forefront in how the brain adapts to unfamiliar environments.
Her achievements include:
• World's first astronaut-neurologist
• On the space shuttle Discovery mission STS 42 in 1992, Dr. Bondar conducted scientific experiments in the First International Microgravity Laboratory
• For more than a decade at NASA Dr. Bondar headed an international space medicine research team, continuing to find new connections between astronauts recovering from floating in space and neurological illnesses here on Earth (e.g. stroke and Parkinson's disease).
• Techniques developed br Dr. Bondar's research team have been used in clinical studies at BI Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and at the University of New Mexico
• Currently, Dr. Bondar is in her second term as Chancellor of Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario.