Scientist Maria Vella has just earned NASA certification for completing a its 'Transform to Open Science (TOPS)' course.  

Being among the first 2,000 participants to complete this course, Ms Vella leveraged this certification to increase her knowledge in advancing open science and promoting transparent research practices within the scientific community.

Speaking to WhosWho.mt, Ms Vella shared that this certification is a key step in her ongoing efforts to highlight the importance of space science and simulated missions, which contribute to advancing research in health science, particularly regarding human performance in extreme and stressful environments. 

Ms Vella’s latest certification complements the accreditation she received last year as she became the first Maltese participant in the Stellar Training for Astronaut Readiness for Analogs (STAR) programme.

A STAR analog candidate takes part in simulation missions that take place in environments that mimic high-intensity environments, in this case, mimicking the space experience. This includes being in isolation and confined spaces. She was trained by analog astronaut Emily Apollonio, one of SpaceX’s Inspiration4’s astronauts, Sian Proctor, and collaborated on designing a mission patch with NASA mission patch veteran Tim Gagnon. 

These certifications can potentially qualify Ms Vella for further training, potentially leading her to real space missions.

Ms Vella has been involved in space and health research for the last two years, under the helm of Joseph Borg, who formed Spaceomix Ltd, Malta's first space bioscience company, made up of a diverse team of individuals with backgrounds in both science and technology. 

At the team, she holds the role of Space Mission Payload Support, Space Bioscience Research and Digital Content Specialist. Furthermore, she is also a Scientific Officer at University of Malta (UM). 

Spaceomix, together with scientists from UM, conducts real-life space experiments with NASA and SpaceX, focusing on blood science in the Polaris Dawn projects, as well as space mission payload integration for Malta’s first experiments sent to space – the Maleth missions.

This research aims to understand how the space environment affects humans, particularly how cells react and adapt to extreme conditions like microgravity. It is not only beneficial to address health challenges face by astronauts, such as anemia, but also for advancing treatments for medical complexities. 

She remarks that such achievements aren’t “just personal advancements” but are crucial in using the knowledge gained to “target those who struggle, for instance people with rare diseases.”