{"id":118678,"date":"2021-03-22T08:00:22","date_gmt":"2021-03-22T12:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678//?p=118678"},"modified":"2021-06-15T14:06:47","modified_gmt":"2021-06-15T18:06:47","slug":"ucf-director-of-space-medicine-advises-others-fly-high-reach-the-sky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678//ucf-director-of-space-medicine-advises-others-fly-high-reach-the-sky/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678//","title":{"rendered":"UCF Director of Space Medicine Advises Others: Fly High, Reach the Sky!"},"content":{"rendered":"

From sleeping on her apartment floor as an early career physician to preparing astronauts for spacewalks, Esther Beltran has never given up following her passions. Her advice to others: Never stop dreaming./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/n

Beltran is the director of space medicine and life sciences at the 色花堂/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/u2019s Florida Space Institute./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/n

色花堂, her projects include helping develop effective countermeasures against space radiation, finding ways to mitigate the negative effects of microgravity on the human body, and researching ways to minimize the health risk of lunar dust for upcoming missions to the moon./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/n

Currently Beltran is working on the Radiation Effects on Volatiles and Exploration of Asteroids and Lunar Surfaces (REVEALS) program for NASA/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/u2019s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. Beltran, a deputy principal investigator is studying novel composites and how they can more effectively protect people against radiation encountered in space. The team is also looking at incorporating active real-time dosimeters detectors made of nano-particles and 2D metamaterials. The goal is to create an effective radiation polymers, as well as warning systems, which would significantly increase efficiency of risk mitigation strategies and enhance crew safety. The materials and dosimetry systems developed would be integrated into spacesuits, life support systems, and mobility units to enhance Extravehicular Activities safety./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/n

Beltran immigrated to the U.S. from Catalonia,  in the early /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/u201890s after completing her physician education and training, and worked at a hospital near Philadelphia. Starting from scratch with nothing but her packed suitcase, she used her clothes to soften the floor for a bed until she could begin to furnish her apartment./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/n

/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/u201cThroughout these years I had to overcome that I was a foreigner, a woman and also considered a minority,/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/u201d Beltran says. /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/u201cSo that was three strikes against me. And I was entering, especially back then, the male-dominated field of aerospace medicine, and a lot of the older generation had a very macho attitude./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/n

/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/u201cI got used to having a lot of quick comebacks to stand up for myself,/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/u201d she says./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/n

It was then that Beltran began codifying her values that she follows today: respect for yourself, independence, perseverance/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/u2026and following your heart./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/n

She recalls facing devastating medical cases, where she saw the brokenness of humanity, but also witnessing the very best in people, too, like skilled doctors bringing hope and healing./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/118678/n