Research projects:

1. Development of new technologies for monitoring thermal status of the human body

• Comfort support in Space. This NASA-funded research program began in 1994 and builds on the foundation of Dr. Koscheyev’s extensive experience in the Russian space program, with further advancement through collaboration with team members at the University of Minnesota.

• Design of a saggitally divided multi-compartment  liquid cooling/warming garment (LCWG) as a means of identifying the common reaction of the body and the most optimal sites for monitoring overall thermal status during non-uniform temperature conditions.
  
       

• Innovative technology initiative applying thermoregulatory physiological processes to identify the most effective areas of the body for transferring heat. Successful development of a shortened more energy efficient LCWG for International Space Station purposes and for later planetary exploration.
  
          

     Current NASA-funded projects:

• Design and testing of a finger heat flux/temperature ring to monitor thermal comfort in space as an initial step in the development of an automatic thermal feedback system for better astronaut protection and comfort.

• Design and testing of a more energy-efficient, less cumbersome physiologically-based glove for construction and maintenance work outside of the space ship, i.e., extravehicular activity (EVA).

  2. Evaluation of protective equipment

• Studies of the effectiveness of individual protective equipment.

• Physiological design for better protection of workers in extreme conditions, and astronauts during routine EVA and in response to emergency situations in space.

• " Smart design" of professional garments for extreme environments.

• Evaluation and comparison of respirator comfort during heat and physical activity.

  3. Technology applications for rehabilitation and other medical purposes

• Application of Russian space program experience in the protection and rehabilitation of cosmonauts during and after prolonged weightlessness to enhance the quality of life of disabled people.

• Development of cooling /warming procedures and devices.

• Pilot study conducted in collaboration with Russian designers and therapists to assess technologies for rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy and stroke victims.

• Application of space garment technologies to maintain core body temperature of infants and children during surgery.       

  4. Minnesota Advanced Cooling System (MACS-DELPHI 1)

 5. Effectiveness of specific body zone cooling to stabilize comfort of athletes exercising

• Improvement of the safety of athletes and others engaging in intensive sports activities by testing the effectiveness of applying mild cooling regimes to prevent core temperature from rising to the level where the person sustains heat exhaustion or heat stroke. 

 6. Comparison of MACS Delphi, NASA and Russian liquid cooling garments

 7. Expedition research.

• Studies of small groups in isolated, confined, and hostile
  environments as an analog to long-duration International Space Station and future planetary missions.

• Study of stress, coping, group processes, and task performance in a three-couple one-year polar expedition team ice-locked on a small boat in the High Arctic as a paradigm for crew composition for a Mars mission.

  

   

• Investigation of a two- woman expedition team engaged in a traverse across Antarctica; focus on subjective perception of cold as related to stress, fatigue, and temperature; decision-making strategies for dealing with dangerous situations in a co-equal dyad.

• Functioning of a two person expedition team and assessment of coping in the spouse/partners left behind.