Co-Leaders
Dr Hossein Akbarialiabad, MD, MSc, HMBA
Dr. Hossein Akbarialiabad, MD MSc HMBA, is a physician-scientist with expertise in dermatology, digital health, and space medicine, serving in academic roles across the U.S., Australia, and the Caribbean. His work bridges dermatologic research with aerospace innovations. A recipient of the ANAHPS-TRISH Space Medicine Award, he is committed to advancing skin health in extreme environments, including space.
Dr Rowena Christiansen, MEmergHealth, MBA, MBBS, BA Hons, LLB, DCH, GradDipDisasterMed, GradDipEd, ACCAM, GradCertSpaceStudies, ISU SHSSP16, FAsMA, FAsHFA
Dr. Rowena Christiansen is dual-qualified in medicine and law, with extensive studies in emergency health, aerospace medicine, and disaster management. She specialises in space health, medicine for extreme environments and pre-hospital emergency care. As a Fellow of various aerospace organisations, she lectures on human health in space and advocates for aerospace medicine. Rowena founded the ad astra vita project and co-founded the International Humans in Space Summit. She has received multiple awards, including the 2023 “Innovator of the Year” at the Australian Space Awards.
Professor Dedee F. Murrell
Dedee F. Murrell is Professor of Dermatology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW), and Chair of the Dept of Dermatology, St George Hospital, Sydney, Australia. She designs and conducts clinical trials of novel therapies for skin cancer and inflammatory skin diseases.
Dr M. Mark Melin
M. Mark Melin MD FACS RPVI FACWS is the Medical Director of the Wound Clinic, Gonda Vascular Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. His interests include dermal lymphatic therapeutics and research, adjunctive micronutrients including Diosmin Hesperidin, and biofilm mitigation in wound care. He has participated in research, publications and education in aerospace medicine and is the Treasurer for the Space Surgery Association.
Dr Christopher G. Bunick, MD, PhD
Dr. Bunick is an Associate Professor of Dermatology and Translational Biomedicine at the Yale School of Medicine, leading a structural biology lab and treating patients’ skin care needs..
Dr Ayman Grada, MD, MS, MHA
Dr. Grada is a US-trained dermatologist and physician-scientist with a distinguished career spanning over 18 years in clinical practice, academic research, and biotech innovation, specializing in immune-mediated skin disorders and cutaneous wound healing. He is currently a Medical Director for Dermatology at a biopharmaceutical company, and an Adjunct Professor of Dermatology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
Professor Sancy Leachman
Dr. Leachman completed her Dermatology Residency and Research Fellowship at Yale School of Medicine before joining the University of Utah as a Professor and Director of the Melanoma and Cutaneous Oncology Program. She later became Chair of the Department of Dermatology at OHSU and Director of the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research Program until 2025, when she returned to Utah as Vice-Chair of Faculty Development. Her clinical practice emphasizes skin cancer, melanoma, and genetic syndromes related to increased cancer risk. A strong advocate for skin screenings and patient education, she has led initiatives in Oregon to enhance early melanoma diagnosis. Her research spans melanoma, innovative diagnostic techniques, and public health studies.
Dr Parnian Jamshidi, MD, MPH
Parnian is an MD and MPH graduate from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, and currently serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the same university. Her passion lies at the intersection of medical science and public health promotion. With a strong background in translational medicine, she is particularly interested in exploring cellular and molecular disease pathogenesis, patient-related therapy response, healing processes, and the significant role of the human microbiome in diverse illnesses.
the ad astra vita project 