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SpaceMed: A European Joint Master in Human Space Physiology
Location: Alte Kornkammer - 1/16/26, 4:30 PM - 1/16/26, 5:00 PM (Europe/Berlin) (30 minutes)
SpaceMed: A European Joint Master in Human Space Physiology
Dr. Katharina Brauns
Postdoctoral researcher at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
Dr. Katharina Brauns
Postdoctoral researcher at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
Dr. Katharina Brauns is a bioinformatics researcher at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, where she investigates neural adaptation and cognitive function in extreme and spaceflight-analog environments. Her work integrates EEG with complementary physiological and performance datasets to study how prolonged inactivity, isolation, altered sensory environments, and operational stressors affect brain dynamics.

Her doctoral research used head-down tilt bed rest as a model of extended inactivity, applying evoked-potential analysis, spectral and connectivity measures, and source-level EEG to characterize neuroplastic changes over time. Since then, she has contributed as Co-Investigator to multiple European Space Agency (ESA) and German Aerospace Center (DLR) projects, including short- and long-duration isolation campaigns, parabolic-flight experiments, and one project conducted on the International Space Station. Her roles span protocol development, cross-site coordination, multimodal data harmonization, and advanced statistical and signal-processing analyses.

Since 2024, she has served on ESA’s Expert Group for Isolation & Confinement, where she contributes to the development of standardized measures, methodological guidelines, and long-term planning for human neuroscience research in extreme environments.

Extreme environments and spaceflight analogues provide unique opportunities to study human neurophysiology and adaptation. The Center for Space Medicine and Extreme Environments at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin integrates multimodal neuroimaging techniques with EEG as well as additional physiological and behavioral data to investigate neural changes during prolonged inactivity, altered gravity, isolation, and other operational stressors. These projects have highlighted the need for structured training pathways to prepare researchers, clinicians, and engineers for the rapidly evolving field of space medicine.

A major step in this direction is the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Physiology and Medicine of Humans in Space and Extreme Environments (SpaceMed), funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (Project 101127568). SpaceMed is a fully integrated 120-ECTS programme jointly delivered by the Université de Caen Normandie (France), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Germany), and the Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School (Slovenia), and is supported by additional partners from the space and research sector. The curriculum combines advanced physiology, aerospace medicine, biomedical engineering, and extensive hands-on training across diverse extreme environments. The first student cohort commenced in October 2024.

The contribution reflects on the development process from the initial concept through the EMJM evaluation and funding stages and discusses the first year of programme implementation. Particular focus is placed on curriculum harmonization across institutions, quality-assurance structures, mobility planning, and practical challenges in integrating research-grade physiological measurements into an international, multi-site educational programme.