Dr. Jonathan Clark

Dr. Jonathan B. Clark is currently an adjunct associate professor of Neurology and Space Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. His 26-year tenure with the U.S. Navy saw him in various roles such as naval flight officer, naval flight surgeon, diver, U.S. Army parachutist, and special forces military freefall parachutist. These experiences laid a strong foundation for his later work in space medicine, where he combined his medical knowledge with his experience in extreme environments.

At NASA Johnson Space Center, Dr. Clark served as a Space Shuttle Crew surgeon for six shuttle missions and was the chief of the Medical Operations Branch from 1997 to 2005. Post-NASA, he continued his involvement in high-altitude projects. Notably, he was the medical director of the "Red Bull Stratos" project, which made history in 2012 with the highest stratospheric freefall parachute jump from 127,852 feet. Two years later, Dr. Clark joined the StratEx Space Dive project as lead flight surgeon, setting yet another record with a high altitude exit freefall from 135,890 feet.

Dr. Clark's expertise in space medicine has been recognized by the commercial space sector. He has served as Chief Medical Officer for Excalibur Almaz and the Inspiration Mars Foundation, and is a consultant for several commercial space companies, including Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, and Space Perspective. Dr. Clark's professional interests, which include the neurologic effects of extreme environments, crew resilience, and crew survival in space, are a testament to his dedication to the field. Dr. Clark is board certified in neurology and aerospace medicine and is a fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association.