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Astronauts, pilots, air traffic controllers, truck drivers, shift workers, and mountain climbers have something in common: All are at risk for impaired cognitive abilities due to stress or sleep deprivation. Whether in space or on Earth, stress and sleep loss can cause a reduction in certain cognitive abilities, such as working memory, reaction time, and problem solving. Because mission safety and success depend on being able to think clearly and function well, NASA began exploring a small, portable way for astronauts to monitor themselves and their cognitive fitness while in space, especially on future missions to Mars that will require extended periods in stressful environments.
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Marshall Space Flight Center develops key transportation and propulsion technologies for the Space Agency. The Center manages propulsion hardware and technologies of the space shuttle, develops the next generation of space transportation and propulsion systems, oversees science and hardware development for the International Space Station, manages projects and studies that will help pave the way back to the Moon, and handles a variety of associated scientific endeavors to benefit space exploration and improve life here on Earth.
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Throughout its existence, NASA has made many amazing discoveries in the field of optics that have led to improved eye care and eyewear applications on Earth. Innovations such as laser eye-tracking for LASIK vision-correction procedures, eye trackers that enable people with severe disabilities to communicate and control their environment using only their eye movements, and scratch-resistant and radiation-blocking lenses are just a taste of the Space Agency's optical accomplishments.
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Neuropsychology is the study of how the brain relates to behavior, emotion, and cognition. Clinical neuropsychologists evaluate the behavioral effects of neurological and developmental disorders stemming from brain injury, strokes, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Millions of Americans are currently living with these cognitive disorders, including a growing number of veterans returning from Iraq with brain injuries. The disorders often result in cognitive impairments that make it difficult to plan daily activities and stay on task, affecting independence, quality of life, and employment.
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How does life begin and evolve? Does life exist elsewhere in the universe? What is the future of life on Earth and beyond?

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Once considered a medical miracle, today’s coronary stent installations are now viewed as low-risk and commonplace procedures. In the U.S. alone, more than one million patients with heart disease receive stent implants every year.
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Medical device design presents specific challenges for finite element analysis (FEA) engineers, who are tasked with simulating the mechanical behavior of medical devices or their components under a variety of conditions. These simulations help designers optimize the device and/or its component design prior to prototyping and physical testing.
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