Biography

Biography: 

Emmanuel Urquieta, M.D., M.S., FAsMA, is the Vice Chair of Aerospace Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Central Florida – College of Medicine.

In his role at UCF, he oversees the development of research, education, and partnerships in the domain of aerospace medicine.

Prior to joining UCF,  Dr. Urquieta served as the Chief Medical Officer at the NASA-funded Translational Research Institute for Space Health where we managed a multimillion-dollar portfolio of medical research for missions to the Moon and Mars, the commercial spaceflight program EXPAND, and analog capabilities, including partnerships with the Australian Antarctic Division.

Dr. Urquieta has extensive experience providing medical care in austere and remote environments serving as a flight surgeon in Mexico City’s Police Department Helicopter Emergency Medical Services, participating in hundreds of rescue missions and aeromedical evacuations. He has volunteered in medical missions around the world. In 2017, Dr. Urquieta was selected as a crew member of the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) XI mission at NASA Johnson Space Center, spending 30 days in a capsule simulating a deep space long-duration mission. He is a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association, and an academician of the International Academy of Astronautics, and has authored and co-authored dozens of publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Dr. Urquieta holds a medical degree and specialty in emergency medicine from Anahuac University in Mexico City and an M.S. in aerospace medicine from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Urquieta frequently appears at scientific meetings and connects with reporters to discuss the effects of space on the human body and potential interventions to promote human space exploration.

Education, Training, & Research: 

Medical doctor. Anahuac University, Mexico City, Mexico

Emergency medicine. Anahuac University, Mexico City, Mexico

Aerospace medicine. Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA

Specialties:

Emergency medicine, aerospace medicine

Research Interests:

Aerospace medicine, medical care in austere, extreme, and remote environments

Recent Publications: 

Peer Reviewed: 

•             Jones CW,…, Urquieta E, et al. Molecular and physiological changes in the SpaceX Inspiration4 civilian crew. Nature. 2024. Pre print.

•             Rahimzadeh V.,…, Urquieta E, et al. ,Ethically cleared to launch?. Science. 2023; 381(6665):1408-11.

•             Bershad E, Hirzallah M, Wu J, Urquieta E. The Multimodal Evaluation of Spaceflight Health and Commercial Spaceflight Data Repository: Lessons From Medical Research in Commercial Spaceflight. Aerosp Med Hum Perf. 2023; 94(4): 289.

•             Dave S, et al. Initial Analysis of Pre- and Post-Flight Refractive Error Changes in Commercial Spaceflight Participants. Aerosp Med Hum Perf. 2023; 94(4): 290.

•             Shelhamer M, Tang S, Menon A, Urquieta E. Otolith and Posture Evaluation in Commercial Spaceflights. Aerosp Med Hum Perf. 2023; 94(4): 290.

•             Krittanawong C, Singh NK, Scheuring RA, Urquieta E, Bershad EM, Macaulay TR, Kaplin S, Dunn C, Kry SF, Russomano T, Shepanek M, Stowe RP, Kirkpatrick AW, Broderick TJ, Sibonga JD, Lee AG, Crucian BE. Human health during space travel: State-of-the-art review. Cells. 2022; 12(1): 40.

•             Puscas M, Bonnen PE, Carr P, Urquieta E, Saint-Jacques D, Buckley N, Low-Decarie E. Rare diseases and space health: optimizing synergies from scientific questions to care. NPJ Micrograv. 2022; 8(1): 58.

•             Urquieta E, Wu J, Hury J, Donoviel D. Establishment of an open biomedical database for commercial spaceflight. Nat Med. 2022; 28(4): 611-12.

•             Wu J, Donoviel D, Hury J, Dempsey R, Urquieta E. Enhancing Exploration Platforms and Analog Definition. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2022; 93(3): 283.

•             Urquieta E. TRISH’s Enhancing Exploration Platforms and Analog Definition Program: A Platform to Collect, Store, and Release Commercial Astronauts’ Data. Aerosp Med Hum Perf. 2022; 93(3): 237-8.

•             Nguyen C, Urquieta E. Contemporary Review of Dermatologic Conditions in Space Flight and Future Implications for Long-Duration Exploration Missions. Life Sci Space Res (Amst). 2022; in press

•             Kahlenberg ZB, Cristea O, Carroll DJ, Urquieta E, Bissada NK, Jones JA. Urologic Innovation in the Spaceflight Environment: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Directions. Med Res Arc. 2021; 9(9). Epub ahead of print

•             Urquieta E. Translational Research for Medical Autonomy in Deep Space Exploration. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2021; 92(6): 438.

•             Rosahl SC, Covarrubias C, Wu JH, Urquieta E. Staying Cool in Space: A Review of Therapeutic Hypothermia and Potential Application for Space Medicine. Ther Hypothermia Temp Manag. 2021; 12(2): 115-28.

•             Urquieta E, Bello A, Varon D, Varon J. Aeromedical Helicopter Transport of Prisoners: The Mexico City Experience. Am J Emerg Med. 2021; 43: 224-28

•             Scott R, Brunstetter T, Tarver W, Urquieta E. Optic nerve tortuosity on Earth and in Space. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(2): 91-97.

•             Strangman G, Sawyer A, Fabre KM, Urquieta E, et al. Deep-space applications for point-of-care technologies. Curr Op Biomed Eng. 2019; 11: 45-50.

•             Scott R, Brunstetter T, Tarver W, Urquieta E. Optic nerve tortuosity in terrestrial populations. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2019; 90(3): 279-80.

•             Urquieta E. Novel tools to diagnose and understand the spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2019; 90(3): 285-86.

•             Urquieta E, Varon J, Surani S. Energy Expenditure During Targeted Temperature Management: A Prospective Cohort Study. Crit Care. 2018; 154(4): 300A

•             Urquieta E. NASA Human Exploration Research Analog Mission XI: A Crewmember’s Experience. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(3): 233

•             Urquieta E, Varon J, Lin PH. Reversal of Spinal Cord Ischemia Following Endovascular Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Repair with Hyperbaric Oxygen and Therapeutic Hypothermia. Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2017; 18(51): 517-20

•             Urquieta E, Varon J. Air Medical Transport of Prisoners: Who, How, When?. Aerosp Med Hum Perf. 2015; 86(3): 186.

•             Urquieta E, Varon J. Mexico City’s PEMEX Explosion: Disaster Management and Air Medical Transport. Air Med J. 2014; 33: 309-13

•             Urquieta E, Varon J. Medevac in mass casualty disasters: the Mexico City Police HEMS experience. Aviat Space Environ Med. 2014; 85(3): 220-21

•             Urquieta E, Varon J. The Medical Emergency Team and prevention of sudden cardiac death: where is the data?. Crit Care & Shock. 2010; 13(3): 73-74

•             Urquieta E, Varon J. The Diagnosis of Respiratory Viral Illness: Are We There Yet?.