About Us

At BioAstra, our team of innovators and world-class scientists is redefining the frontiers of healthcare and space exploration. Guided by a shared mission, we integrate groundbreaking technologies to tackle the most challenging environments, bridging critical gaps in health access and driving transformative change on Earth and beyond

FOUNDERS

  • A leading genomics and space biology expert, Dr. Mason co-led NASA’s Twins Study, enabled DNA sequencing in space, and founded the MetaSUB Consortium. At BioAstra, he drives AI and genomics innovations.

    Christopher Mason, PhD

    Chairman

  • A visionary leader in healthcare and space innovation, Savi co-founded BioAstra to pioneer medical research for Earth and beyond. With expertise in data science and health tech, she has led groundbreaking initiatives in clinical research, AI, and digital health.

    Savi Glowe

    Chief Executive Officer

  • A genomic scientist specializing in astronaut health, Dr. Overbey led analyses of the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission and spearheaded the Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA). As BioAstra’s Chief Scientific Officer, she advances healthcare innovations for astronauts and space medicine.

    Eliah Overbey, PhD

    Chief Scientific Officer

LEADERSHIP & STAFF

  • Dr. Tyra is a global philanthropy and international political expert. He leads strategy and resource development and fosters high-impact collaborations across aerospace, pharma, and research sectors.

    Michal Tyra, PhD

    Chief Strategy & Development Officer

  • Hilary Wartinger, MPH, comes to BioAstra with over ten years in global humanitarian response and public health. She’s led humanitarian health programs in Nigeria, Somalia, and Bangladesh, worked for Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, and the Women’s Refugee Commission, and has supported global health programming in many other countries.

    Hilary Wartinger, MPH

    Director, Project Management

  • A nuclear-trained naval officer, physicist, and U.S. Naval Academy physics professor, Commander West brings 30 years of naval expertise in submarines, combat readiness, and celestial physics.

    CDR Brent West, PhD

    DIrector, Twin Astra Mission

  • Craig Pritsky is a sales and business development expert with 20 years of experience driving market expansion, strategic partnerships, and revenue growth across multiple industries. Craig holds a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Master of Global Management in Space Leadership, Business, and Policy from the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.

    Craig Pritsky

    MedAstra, Business Development

  • Grace graduated from Syracuse University in May of 2024 with a degree in environmental, sustainability, and political science. She has always had an interest in space since she was a kid and has always wanted to go to space at some point but is very claustrophobic.

    Grace Ciagne

    Project Coordinator

  • A machine learning and computational biology expert, Dr. Galeano has pioneered AI-driven drug discovery, from target prediction to antiviral research. With experience at Yale, NASA GeneLab, and COV-IRT, he advances RNA-based therapeutics and space health solutions at BioAstra.

    Diego Galeano, PhD

    Staff Scientist, Mentor

  • A leader in space biomedical research, Prof. Borg spearheaded Malta’s Project Maleth, studying microbiomes in microgravity. His NIH-backed work at BioAstra explores genetic and cellular responses to spaceflight, unlocking insights for astronaut health and transformative Earth-based medicine.

    Joseph Borg, PhD

    Staff Scientist, Mentor

  • Dr. Aaron J. Berliner is a research associate in the Department of Radiation Oncology of Weill Cornell Medicine studying the effects of space radiation on biological systems. Dr. Berliner's work encompasses advanced life support systems, biological and chemical manufacturing, and in situ resource utilization, helping to pave the way for sustainable human presence in space.

    Aaron Berliner, PhD

    Staff Scientist, Mentor

  • Dr. Begum Mathyk is a pioneering OB-GYN and Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility fellow at the University of South Florida’s Morsani College of Medicine. As the only female OB-GYN in the U.S. actively conducting space research, she leads groundbreaking studies on how spaceflight impacts women’s reproductive health. Dr. Mathyk is a member of NASA’s GeneLab and chairs its FemaleRepro Analysis Working Group.

    Begum Mathyk, MD

    Staff Scientist, Mentor

  • JangKeun Kim, Ph.D., is a biomedical scientist and director of spaceflight research at Weill Cornell Medicine's Mason Lab. He integrates multi-omics techniques to study molecular adaptations to spaceflight and personalized medicine applications. Dr. Kim actively contributes to the Space Omics Medical Atlas and participates in AWG Multi-Omics and Human AWG groups, supporting missions such as Inspiration4, Polaris Dawn, Fram2, Blue Origin's New Shepard, and Axiom-2.

    JangKeun Kim, PhD

    Staff Scientist, Mentor

ADVISORS

  • A pioneer in genomic science, Professor Church leads Synthetic Biology at the Wyss Institute and has developed groundbreaking genome engineering tools. A key figure in the Human Genome Project, he has founded multiple biotech companies and holds faculty positions at Harvard and MIT.

    George Church, PhD

  • An investor and visionary in health, space, and emerging technologies, Esther Dyson is the founder of Wellville and chairman of EDventure Holdings. She serves on the boards of 23andMe and Voxiva and trained as a backup cosmonaut in Star City, Russia.

    Esther Dyson

  • A serial entrepreneur and CEO of Colossal, Ben Lamm focuses on cutting-edge technology to solve global challenges. He has founded and led multiple tech companies, supports startups in defense and climate, and serves on advisory boards, including the Planetary Society.

    Ben Lamm

  • An expert in clinical informatics, Dr. Glicksberg applies machine learning to patient health data for personalized medicine. He is an Assistant Professor at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine and a member of the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health.

    Ben Glicksberg, PhD

  • A leader in human performance and systems engineering, Dr. Schmidt develops biomedical solutions for extreme environments, from spaceflight to military operations. His work includes NASA’s Astronaut Digital Twin AI platform and rapid prototyping of novel countermeasures.

    Michael A. Schmidt, PhD

  • An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Kimberly Washington leads Deep Space Biology, driving AI-powered space biotech innovation. She founded Space4Girls to empower young women in STEM and serves on advisory boards for Oxford’s Generation AI, BioAstra, and Leaders on Purpose.

    Kimberly Washington

  • A leader in space biology, Daniela Bezdan heads the Green Space Center and formerly served as Chief Scientific Officer at YURI GmbH. With expertise in microgravity research, astronaut health, and genomics, she has contributed to NASA Twin Studies, ESA projects, and urban microbiome research.

    Daniela Bezdan

  • A pioneer in space biomedicine, Dr. Beheshti leads research on space health, radiation biology, and AI-driven biomedical solutions. He directs the Space Biomedicine Program at the University of Pittsburgh and has spearheaded major initiatives, including NASA’s Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA).

    Dr. Afshin Beheshti

  • Paola Ferrari is an Italian-American space innovation and sustainability leader with a Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University, earned through a Fulbright Scholarship. She founded the Accademia di Gagliato Globale, a gathering of frontier scientists in Calabria, Italy. Paola has consulted on sustainability for Automobili Lamborghini and launched the UN-based Equality Moonshot to support female founders in high-growth sectors

    Paola Ferrari

Events

Jun

26

Space Force Association : Space Cities

SpaceCities is the new initiative from CityAge, with the US Space Force Association, to bring together the leaders, investors and visionaries who are building the space future.

Feb

20

Twin Astra Launch Event and Reception

An invite only evening at the historic Explorers Club as BioAstra unveils its crewed deep-space program, Twin Astra. An extraordinary series of missions that promise to redefine the frontiers of healthcare, space technology, and global innovation.

Mar

30

NextMed Health: The Future of Health and Medicine

BioAstra co-founder Chris Mason will be speaking at NextMed Health 2025 - a unique interdisciplinary community dedicated to catalyzing and accelerating the arrival of a new, human-centric, technology-enabled health age.

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