On December 4, 2024, at Hall CP, College Park, Bonnie Carney (Ph.D.), a member of the UMD Alumni Association presented “A Journey Through Space and Time”. “A Journey Through Space and Time” was an extensive research carried out by Bonnie Carney in an aim to understand the natural surroundings of space as well as how to secure the health of astronauts when they embark on space journeys. The specific topic of this research was the effect of microgravity on various elements and phases of wound healing. This research contained information and results that were beneficial not only for space exploration but also for the military and general application of wound healing in healthcare systems. Generally, while in space, Astronauts are exposed to life-threatening surgical conditions. With this being said it is important to understand how the microgravity environment can affect wound healing as certain conditions might lead to a surgery procedure out of space. Certain conditions that might occur while in orbit are appendicitis, pancreatitis, and intestinal obstruction. In terms of methods, during this research experiment, Bonnie Carney used Ketamine/xylazine for anesthesia induction, warming pads for thermoregulation, Acepromazine for reverse ketamine, Buprenex for analgesia, and a heated animal recovery system. The animals used for this experiment were mice. When asked why mice were used, Bonnie Carney stated they had similar structures to the human skin and since this experiment focuses on wound healing it made scientific sense to use mice. Finally, the research was conducted at the International Space Station to stimulate realistic situations (ISS). At the end of her research, Bonnie concluded that microgravity did not impact microscopic re-epithelialization though it might still influence transcriptomic and metabolic changes. Re-epithelialization or wound healing occurred in mice the same way it would have on Earth.
This presentation was interesting and the points stated were not only factual but convincing. The experimental conditions, the results, and the background of the speaker made the statements and points within this presentation convincing. The initial introduction includes already-known information which was then aligned with the research findings and conclusion thus making the research’s points plausible and believable. Similarly, although most research read about wound healing in space do state that microgravity slows it down this research revealed it had no effect, it is also important to note that Bonnie mentioned it did specifically impact re-epithelialization but could influence transcription and metabolic changes which are factors that could still impact wound healing. So although her findings contradict most research done on space wound healing, the scientific results and reasoning behind her findings are plausible.