Funding

There are currently three active grants that are supporting the research activities with the Space Cycle.

The first of these is entitled "Hypergravity Resistance Training: Countermeasure to Microgravity". The goal of this project is to determine whether hypergravity can be used as a unique way to load skeletal muscle and prevent the loss of muscle mass and function that occurs in microgravity. The principal investigator on this project is Dr. Vincent J. Caiozzo in the Department of Orthopaedics at U.C. Irvine. Dr. Caiozzo’s research expertise is in the field of muscle physiology. The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) funds this project. This is a four year project, with funding extending out to 2008.

The second project is entitled "Cardiovascular Effects of Hypergravity Training". The goal of this study is to determine if artificial gravity can be used to prevent the loss of orthostatic tolerance that occurs in microgravity. The principal investigator of this project is Dr. James Hicks from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at U.C. Irvine. Dr. Hicks is an expert in the field of cardiorespiratory physiology. The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) funds this project. This is a one year synergy project, with funding extending out to 2006.

The third project is the "Effects of hypergravity resistance training on bone mass and density". The goal of this project is to determine if hypergravity resistance training may be an effective means of preventing the loss of bone mass that normally occurs in microgravity. The principal investigator on this project is Dr. Joyce Keyak who is a faculty member in the Department of Orthopaedics at U.C. Irvine. Dr. Keyak is a recognized expert in the field of finite element analysis and the application of this approach to understanding changes in bone mass and strength. This is a one year synergy project that is funded by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI).