Lab Personnel

Lonnie (MD, PhD) completed her MD from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark in 2007 and has worked in Emergency Medicine and Intensive Care. Dr. Petersen received her PhD in Gravitational Physiology and Space Medicine in 2016. Currently Charles Stark Draper Professor, Assistant Professor at MIT of Aeronautics and Astronautics and supported by NASA, Department of Defense, and the Novo Nordic Foundation as well as being a Sapera Aude Fellow (National Research Council). Her research is rooted in cardiovascular, cerebral and exercise physiology always with an integrative physiology approach. 

Fabian is a Post Doc working on optimizing countermeasures for spaceflight with interests in cardiovascular and pulmonary physiology in extreme underwater, microgravity, altitude, and isolation environments. As part of his doctoral work, he investigated the effects of countermeasure exercise training in long-term isolation spaceflight analogs on physical and cognitive performance and conducted applied research on human physiology and performance underwater. He received his Ph.D. with honors from the German Sport University Cologne in 2022.

Michael "T-Rex" Tibbs is a Major in the USAF and working on his PhD in the APL. He completed his B.S. degree in astronautical engineering at the USAF Academy and holds an M.S. degree in flight test engineering from the USAF Test Pilot School. Before joining AFL and MIT, Michael served as an exchange officer to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) at Gifu Air Base, Japan, flying the F-2, F-15J, and T-4. Michael's interests lie at the intersection of aerospace physiology, autonomy, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. His thesis work includes modeling flight intolerance conditions for trauma patients on autonomous aircraft for Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) applications. He is also interested in bioastronautics and collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) research.

Michael is also a father of three and enjoys spending time with his family, scuba diving, track & field, and video games.

Bria is a PhD student in the APL. She received her B.S. in Nutritional Science from Syracuse University and M.S. in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition from California State University, Long Beach. Bria has previously worked as a research physiologist in the biomedical and defense industries. Her research interests are geared toward integrating concepts in physiology, nutrition, metabolism, and biosensor technology development to applications in human performance and medicine in extreme environments.

Ciarra is a PhD student in the MIT AeroAstro department with a focus in Human-System Collaboration. She received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2023 and M.S in Aeronautics & Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2025. Her prior research experience includes human performance, physiological signals, and wearable device evaluation. Her current research interests includes sensor fabrication and integrating dynamic control systems into different LBNP architectures aimed at mitigating fluid shifts and cardiovascular deconditioning during long duration space missions.

Danny is a PhD student in MIT AeroAstro with a focus in Humans in Aerospace. She received her B.S. in aerospace and mechanical engineering from UC Davis in 2023. Her prior research experience includes turbulent flow physics, computer vision and thermal payload hardware development for cubesats, along with helmet-mounted display technology for underwater astronaut training at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL). Her current research interests include developing countermeasures for astronaut safety during long duration spaceflight.

Anna is an MD-PhD student at Harvard Medical School and MIT AeroAstro with a focus on Humans in Aerospace. She received her BS in Biochemistry from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2021, summa cum laude. Her prior research experience include immune health, fatigue countermeasures, and satellite algorithm development at various NASA centers, and artificial gravity for bone health with the NASA/JAXA MHU-8 mission. Her current research interests include understanding physiological risks and developing countermeasures for astronaut health in lunar/Martian partial gravity environments.

Nicole is a current master's student in the APL with research currently focusing on sleep physiology and circadian disruptions in microgravity as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow (starting Fall 2025). She recieved her Bachelor's of Science here at MIT in Aerospace Engineering, where she started her research career working on wearable countermeasures for space. A citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation, she is passionate about Indigenous advocacy and space sustainability. Outside of lab, you find her working on the MIT ambulance, building rockets, cooking, or playing RPGs.  

Undergraduate researcher with a focus in bioengineering and medical devices. Currently working on projects with a random positioning machine (RPM) to simulate zero and partial gravity. Her previous work includes informatics for cancer research and drug development. In her free time, she enjoys playing music, cooking, playing tennis, and reading.  

Aerospace Engineering student and undergraduate researcher with a focus in Humans in Space. She is currently working on countermeasure devices to aid in long duration human spaceflight, specifically a lower body negative pressure (LBNP) suit. Previous work includes payload testing, rocket propulsion development, and designing space mission concepts. Hobbies and interests include martial arts, reading, and teaching.  

Rising senior at MIT majoring in 6-7 Computer Science and Molecular Biology. Current research focuses on implementing dynamic LBNP system controls to incorporate into next generation space suit prototypes. Interests outside of research include swimming, rock climbing, reading, and watching movies with friends