Platform: Coursera | Institution: Duke University | Released: Fall 2021 | Duration: 6 weeks | Cost: Free (including certificate)
In fall 2021, collaborator Nick Saba and I publicly released Introduction to Space Medicine on Coursera. It is the world’s first undergraduate-taught Coursera course and is designed to give an accessible introduction to human physiology and how the environment of space complicates health.
Course Structure
The highlights of our 12-week Duke House Course seminar were converted into a six-week online class:
- History and Astrobiology — From the origins of aerospace medicine to the search for life beyond Earth.
- Aerospace Physiology — How altitude, acceleration, and microgravity affect the human body.
- Hazards of Space Travel — Radiation, isolation, bone loss, cardiovascular deconditioning, and the challenges of long-duration missions.
- Systems-Based Approach — Cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, neurological, and immune system responses to spaceflight.
- Countermeasures and Future Directions — Current strategies for protecting astronaut health and open research questions.
Media Coverage
- Duke School of Medicine: Magnify — “Staying Healthy in Space”
- CBS News — “Final Frontier: Duke University professors teaching course on medicine in space”
- Duke Chronicle — Coverage of the undergraduate-led Coursera course
Free Access
Nick and I are committed to sharing the growing field of space medicine with as many students as possible. We kept the full certificate-granting course free for all students, an unprecedented decision in Duke’s Coursera catalog. Cost should never be a barrier to learning.
Acknowledgments
This course would not have been possible without Duke Learning Innovation. We owe tremendous gratitude to Megan Lancaster, Quentin Ruiz-Esparza, Michael Blair, Nick Janes, and William Williamson for their production support.
Companion Podcast
The Spherical Cows Podcast features additional guest speakers in bioastronautics and answers questions posed by students taking the course.