By Alison Roach
SFU student will create workout plans for pre-fight, post-flight, and in-flight astronauts
The federal government has recently announced its intention to renew its commitment to the International Space Agency (ISS), and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield is scheduled to launch in December to live and work at the ISS for six months, for half of which he’ll work as the station’s first Canadian commander. Karen Tulloch is a biomedical physiology and kinesiology (BPK) major at SFU working with the Canadian Space Agency as a co-op student. Tulloch is working to create exercise programs and review nutritional values of Canadian foods that are going to be used in space. Tulloch is one of 42 students from across Canada working with the CSA for the term. Tulloch, psychology student Stephanie Fowler, and computing science student Matthew Torgerson are all SFU students completing co-op work terms at the agency.
Tulloch is working on developing exercise protocols for Canadian astronauts at all stages of flight: prior, during, and after. She also reviews nutritional content of food being sent into flight, and places orders for the upcoming mission. “There is no ‘typical’ work day for me . . . One day I will be reviewing various exercise journal articles and textbooks on methods to improve cardiovascular fitness, and the next day I’ll be at the CSA gym testing out protocols used [or] recommended in that literature.”
Natalie Hirsch, a SFU kinesiology graduate, works with Tulloch as her supervisor in her current position, to develop training protocols for Canadian astronauts’ upcoming missions. Since Chris Hadfield’s mission is coming up, his training program is one of the main focuses. Due to the fact that the astronauts do most of their preparation training in the U.S. or Russia, Tulloch doesn’t have the opportunity to work with the astronauts hands on. “Fortunately we are able to monitor their training and exercise data using various software, and Natalie travels to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston to deliver exercise support in person,” said Tulloch of this obstacle.
Of this work as a co-op term, Tulloch describes it as a phenomenal and humbling experience. She first saw the term at the CSA specifically as an opportunity to use her kinesiology knowledge in a unique setting. Says Tulloch, “I was drawn to this position because I knew it would force me to apply concepts . . . and enhance my understanding of physiology and exercise principles.” There is a sense of responsibility and pressure in working for such an important purpose, but Tulloch has found the individuals she works with are exceptional, and very supportive of students.
The experience of participating in the co-op program has been a character-defining one for Tulloch. She says, “One of the most valuable lessons that I’ve garnered from my co-op experience is to be open-minded. Be open to new experiences and take advantage of opportunities that present themselves to you. You never truly know whether or not you like something until you try it, and regardless of whether or not it works out the way you expected, you always end up learning something valuable about yourself in the end.” In this case, taking on a challenge can even lead to working towards space exploration.
After this co-op term, Tulloch is set to return to an ongoing role in BPK professor Diane Finegood’s lab as a childhood obesity researcher. She plans to graduate in spring 2014 and pursue a career in exercise physiology working with youth and those dealing with chronic disease, thanks in part to her co-op experiences. Says Tulloch, “[The co-op program] has reaffirmed my passion for exercise science and physiology. The human body is a fascinating area of study and this experience at CSA has reminded me of how interesting it is to work in this field.”
