Inspirational Series

Dr. Shawna Pandya

Dr. Shawna Pandya is a physician, aquanaut, scientist-astronaut candidate with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS), skydiver, pilot-in-training, VP Immersive Medicine with Luxsonic Technologies, Medical advisor at Above Space Development Corporation and Fellow of the Explorers Club. She is the Director of IIAS’ Space Medicine Group, Chief Instructor for IIAS’ Operational Space Medicine course, a host of the World Extreme Medicine’s podcast series, Primary Investigator for the Shad Canada-Blue Origin student microgravity competition, member of the AIAA ASCEND Guiding Coalition, and sessional lecturer for “Technology and the Future of Medicine,” at the University of Alberta.

Dr. Pandya was on the first crew to test a commercial spacesuit in zero gravity in 2015. She earned her aquanaut designation on the 2019 NEPTUNE (Nautical Experiments in Physiology, Technology and Underwater Exploration) mission and completed a second aquanaut mission, NEP2NE in May 2023. Her expeditions have been previously captured in the 2019 Land Rover short, “Another World,” released with the Apollo 11: First Steps film, and in the 2022 FIGS Space Navy and Mauve space medicine-themed campaign. She interned at ESA’s European Astronaut Center and NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Her publications include a book chapter on psychological resilience in long-duration spaceflight. In 2021, she was granted an Honorary Fellowship in Extreme and Wilderness Medicine and named to the Canadian Women’s Executive Network’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. Her work is permanently exhibited at the Ontario Science Center alongside Dr. Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman in space. In 2022, Dr. Pandya was named to the Explorers’ Club’s “50 Explorers Changing the World.”