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Executive Team

Like our membership, our executive team represents a cross section of a diverse, interdisciplinary, and highly accomplished community that is working to make future milestones in human spaceflight possible.

PRESIDENT

Brett Bennett  

Brett Bennett is a business manager and human performance researcher with degrees in neuroscience and genetics (U of M-TC) as well as certificates in wilderness medicine first response (NOLS) and alpine technical leadership (AMTL Level 2). In ongoing work at the graduate level, he studies EEG-based technologies for application to expeditionary training and bioastronautics. Brett serves as President for the Association of Spaceflight Professionals.


CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER

Jamila Siamwala  

Jamila Siamwala holds a PhD in cardiovascular biology from Anna University, India and was a research scientist at UC San Diego and Assistant Professor at Brown University, where she investigated cardiac fibroblast plasticity in tissue regeneration. Jamila led the metabolism wing of NASA's Twins Study, a study leveraging her expertise in hemodynamic responses to the microgravity environment and published in Science. She currently works as a consultant for research and development activities with a focus on grant writing. Jamila serves as Chief Science Officer for the Association of Spaceflight Professionals.


LIFE SCIENCES TEAM LEAD

Shawna Pandya  

Dr. Shawna Pandya is a scientist-astronaut candidate with Project ​PoSSUM​, physician, aquanaut, speaker, martial artist, advanced diver, skydiver, pilot-in-training, VP Immersive Medicine with ​Luxsonic Technologies and Fellow of the ​Explorers’ Club​. She holds degrees in neuroscience (BSc Hons. Neuroscience, University of Alberta), space (MSc Space Studies, International Space University), entrepreneurship (Graduate Studies Program, Singularity University) and medicine (MD, University of Alberta), and is completing a fellowship in Wilderness Medicine (Academy of Wilderness Medicine).


PHYSICAL SCIENCES TEAM LEAD

David Wassell  

David Wassell is a Senior Chemist at a large regional utility in Saskatchewan, Canada. He holds a PhD in Chemistry and an M.Sc. in Process Engineering, was a Research Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast. David maintains an interest in resource development, and serves as Physical Science Team Lead for the Association of Spaceflight Professionals.


ENGINEERING TEAM LEAD

Prashant Waghmare  

Prashant Waghmare is assistant dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Design at Carleton University. He holds a PhD in mechanical engineering and studies droplet dynamics, interfacial fluid dynamics research, and reduced gravity research. Prashant has extensive experience in managing parabolic flight campaigns for testing payloads in microgravity. He serves as the Engineering Team Lead at the Association of Spaceflight Professionals.

  MEMBERSHIP OFFICER                                                                                                                             

Jeska Clark  

Jeska Clark is a graduate researcher at Arizona State University in Ira Fulton School of Engineering. She pursues ongoing study in human performance, medicine, and optimizing decision making in extreme environments. She serves as Membership Officer for the Association of Spaceflight Professionals.


COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Sean Wilson  

Sean Wilson is a communications leader with almost three decades of experience in the space industry. Currently, Sean is the director of technical communications at The Aerospace Corporation where she leads a stellar team responsible for supporting their customers’ vital missions through strategic events, digital communications, and technical publications. A Houston native, Sean holds both a B.A. and an M.A. in Communications from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, and currently lives in Northern Virginia.


Association of Spaceflight Professionals

7901 4th St. N, Ste. 300
St. Petersburg, FL 33702

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