Serena Auñón-Chancellor

Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor began her career as a NASA astronaut after obtaining her B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from George Washington University, an M.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and an M.P.H. degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch. Auñón-Chancellor's accomplishments extend to her board certifications in Internal Medicine and Aerospace Medicine. Before becoming an astronaut, she was hired by NASA as a flight surgeon and spent over nine months in Russia supporting medical operations for International Space Station astronauts.

Her career at NASA has been marked with significant achievements. In 2009, she was selected as an astronaut candidate and completed the astronaut candidacy training program in 2011. Auñón-Chancellor has had the opportunity to explore the depths of the ocean as well as the expanse of space. She piloted a DeepWorker 2000 submersible as part of the NASA/NOAA NEEMO 16 underwater exploration mission and participated as an aquanaut in the NEEMO 20 crew. Her time in space includes a 196-day stint aboard the International Space Station as part of Soyuz MS-09 (Expedition 56/57).

Currently, Auñón-Chancellor continues to contribute to NASA as a Management Astronaut, focusing on medical issues and on-orbit support in the Astronaut Office. Her research on the medical implications of space radiation exposure is instrumental in understanding the health risks for astronauts. She is also a program director for the aerospace medicine residency program at TUMB and an associate professor of clinical medicine at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Auñón-Chancellor's unique experiences and extensive knowledge in both medicine and space exploration make her a distinguished figure in her field.