NASA Spaceflight Expert Confirmed Keynote Speaker for 2010 PDA Annual Meeting 14 December, 2009

Bethesda, MD -  The Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) has confirmed that Janice V. Meck, PhD, Director, Cardiovascular Laboratory, NASA-Johnson Space Center will present "Development of a Pharmaceutical Countermeasure for Post-spaceflight Orthostatic Intolerance" during the Opening Plenary Session of the 2010 PDA Annual Meeting.

Janice V. Meck is the Director of the Cardiovascular Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center. Dr. Meck is also the Chief Scientist for the NASA Bed Rest Project, developed in partnership with NIH and the University of Texas Medical Branch, where she holds a faculty appointment. The Bed Rest Project designs and implements multi-disciplinary, multi-investigator research protocols on human subjects during bed rest, with the aim of developing and refining countermeasures for spaceflight. 

For over 15 years, Dr. Meck’s major research focus has been the development of appropriate treatments for the untoward effects of spaceflight on humans. She has received many awards for her work including the President’s Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the VCU Alumni Star Award, and many spaceflight achievement awards.  

Dr. Meck will join two additional keynote speakers for the 2010 PDA Annual Meeting:

• Martin Lafleur, Project Director, AéroMontréal, presenting “Manufacturing Excellence: Industry Perspective”
• Per Carlson, PhD, Professor, Elementary Particle Physics, KTH and former member of the Nobel Prize Selection Committee, presenting “The Link Between Academic Science and Industrial Science”

The 2010 PDA Annual Meeting will be held at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, March 15-19. PDA Training and Research Institute (PDA TRI) courses and a post conference workshop on Lean Manufacturing are also scheduled to accompany this conference.

For more information, visit www.pda.org/annual2010.