Biography

Marisa Covington is a senior scientific leader with extensive experience guiding NASA’s human spaceflight research, ethical governance, and scientific integrity. As Director of the Office of Research Assurance within NASA’s Office of Health and the Chief Medical Officer, Covington oversees the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Human Research Multilateral Review Board, and the Artemis Human Research Coordination Board, serving as the agency’s senior authority for human research ethics. Covington collaborates closely with international partners and commercial providers to maintain consistent ethical standards, resolve issues rapidly, and ensure protection of human subjects in spaceflight environments. In addition, she directs compliance for NASA’s human research portfolio, managing oversight of allegations, research misconduct, and education.

Before joining NASA civil service, Covington held leadership roles at KBR and MEI Technologies, managing program integration for NASA’s Human Research Program, including bioethics, privacy, genetics, IRB operations, and international coordination. Covington supported scientific merit review processes, ISS payload integration, performance metrics, and strategic guidance for senior leadership. Earlier, Covington served as an Assistant Research Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, conducting NIH-funded research in toxicology, epigenetics, kidney disease, and pharmacology while teaching students and supervising laboratory teams.

Covington holds a Ph.D. in Medical Science (Toxicology) from Texas A&M Health Science Center. Covington is the recipient of multiple NASA achievement awards and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications spanning astronaut health, ethics in human spaceflight, toxicology, and biomedical science.