Translational Research Institute for Space Health
The Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) is a virtual, applied research consortium that pursues and funds translational research and technologies to keep astronauts healthy during space exploration, with the added benefit of potential applications on Earth. TRISH is specifically focused on human health in preparation for deep space exploration efforts, including National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Artemis missions to the Moon, and future human missions to Mars. TRISH also supports research to collect and study biometric data gathered on commercial spaceflight missions to better understand the effect of spaceflight on the human body. The consortium is led by Baylor College of Medicine, and includes Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and California Institute of Technology, with funding awarded to scientists and organizations around the United States. TRISH works directly with NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) to establish and coordinate research efforts that align with NASA’s goal of safely furthering human exploration while mitigating risks to human health. TRISH was founded in 2016, and Baylor College of Medicine was selected as the lead institution in an agreement with a maximum potential value of 134.6 million between 2022 and 2028. When NASA reviewed TRISH in December 2020, it found that “TRISH had developed and transitioned 34 completed astronaut health and protection projects to NASA and had connected 415 first-time NASA researchers with opportunities to develop space health solutions.” TRISH supports NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP), founded in 2005, as outlined in TRISH’s strategic plan. The goals of the HRP are to provide knowledge and technology to mitigate risks to human health and performance and develop tools to enable safe and productive human space exploration.
