Graduate Education – Space Life Sciences
Faculty
 Janice Meck, Ph.D.
   

Title and Position

Director, Cardiovascular Laboratory at NASA-Johnson Space Center

Education

  • Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; B.S., 1969, Biology

  • Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA; M.S., 1982, Biology

  • University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, TX; Ph.D., 2000, Pharmacology

Positions

  • 1982 - 1991 Research assistant, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, VA          

  • 1991 - 1992 Research physiologist, Space Biomedical Research Institute, NASA/Johnson Space Center

  • 1992 - Present Director, Cardiovascular Laboratory, Life Sciences Research Laboratories, NASA/Johnson Space Center

  • 2000 - Present Director, Space Medicine and Physiology Program, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

  • 2003 – Present Project Scientist, NASA Bed Rest Project, NASA/Johnson Space Center

Honors

  • 1980 Phi Sigma Honor Society

  • 1980 Beta Beta Beta Honor Society

  • 1982 Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Virginia Commonwealth University

  • 1998 Distinguished Alumna Award, College of Humanities and Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth    University

  • 1999 Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

  • 2000 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers ($200K award)

  • 2000 Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Stellar Award

  • 2001 Virginia Commonwealth University Alumni Star Award

  • 2002 Special Spaceflight Achievement Award

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications (in chronological order)

  1. Kasting, GA, Eckberg DL, Fritsch JM: Continuous resetting of the human carotid baroreceptor-cardiac reflex. Am. J. Physiol. 252: R732-R736, 1987.

  2. Fritsch, JM, Rea RF, and Eckberg DL. Carotid baroreflex resetting during drug-induced arterial pressure changes in humans. Am. J. Physiol. 256 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 25): R549-R553, 1989.

  3. Convertino VA, Doerr DF, Eckberg DL, Fritsch JM, Vernikos-Danellis J. Carotid baroreflex response following 30 days exposure to simulated microgravity. Physiologist. 32(1 Suppl): S67-S68, 1989.

  4. Sopher, SM, Smith ML, Eckberg DL, Fritsch JM, Dibner-Dunlap ME. Autonomic pathophysiology in heart failure: carotid baroreceptor-cardiac reflexes. Am. J. Physiol. 259(3 Pt 2): H689-H696, 1990.

  5. Rea, RF, Eckberg DL, Fritsch JM, Goldstein DS. Relation of plasma norepinephrine and sympathetic traffic during hypotension in humans. Am. J. of Physiol. 258(4 pt 2): R982-R986, 1990.

  6. Porter, TR, Eckberg DL, Fritsch JM, Rea RF, Beightol LA, Schmedtje JF, Jr., Mohanty PK. Autonomic pathophysiology in heart failure patients. Sympathetic-Cholinergic Interrelations. J. Clin. Invest. 85: 1362-1371, 1990.

  7. Eckberg, DL, Fritsch JM. Carotid baroreceptor cardiac-vagal reflex responses during 10 days of head-down tilt. Physiologist. 33(1 Suppl): S177, 1990.

  8. Convertino, VA, Thompson CA, Eckberg DL, Fritsch JM, Mack GW, Nadel ER. Baroreflex responses and LBNP tolerance following exercise training. Physiologist. 33(1 Suppl): S40-41, 1990.

  9. Convertino, VA, Doerr DF, Eckberg DL, Fritsch JM, Vernikos-Danellis J. Head-down bed rest impairs vagal baroreflex responses and provokes orthostatic hypotension. J. Appl. Physiol. 68(4): 1458-1464, 1990.

  10. Levine, BL, Buckey JC, Fritsch JM, Yancy CW, Watenpaugh DE, Snell PG, Lane LD, Eckberg DL, Blomqvist CG. Physical fitness and cardiovascular regulation: mechanisms of orthostatic intolerance. J. Appl. Physiol. 70(1): 112-122, 1991.

  11. Fritsch, JM, Smith ML, Simmons DT, Eckberg DL. Differential baroreflex modulation of human vagal and sympathetic activity. Am. J. Physiol. 260(3 Pt 2): R635-R641, 1991.

  12. Eckberg, DL, Fritsch JM: Human autonomic responses to actual and simulated weightlessness. J. Clin. Pharm. 31: 951-955, 1991.

  13. Fritsch, JM, Charles JB, Bennett BS, Jones MM, Eckberg DL: Short-duration spaceflight impairs human carotid baroreceptor-cardiac reflex responses. J. Appl. Physiol. 73(2): 664-671, 1992.

  14. Eckberg, DL, Fritsch JM: Influence of ten-day head-down bedrest on human carotid baroreceptor-cardiac reflex function. Acta. Physiol. Scand. Suppl. 604: 69-76, 1992.

  15. Eckberg, DL, Convertino VA, Fritsch JM, Doerr DF: Reproducibility of human vagal carotid baroreceptor-cardiac reflex responses. Am. J. Physiol. 263: R215-R220, 1992.

  16. Convertino, VA, Fritsch JM: Attenuation of human carotid-cardiac vagal baroreflex responses after physical detraining. Aviat. Space and Environ. Med. 63: 785-788, 1992.

  17. Eckberg, DL, Fritsch JM: How should human baroreflexes be tested. N.I.P.S. 8: 7-12, 1993.

  18. Smith ML, Fritsch JM, Eckberg DL: Rapid adaptation of vagal baroreflexes in humans. J. Auton. Nerv. Sys., 47: 75-82, 1994.

  19. Fritsch-Yelle, JM, Charles JB, Jones MM, Beightol LA, Eckberg DL. Spaceflight alters autonomic regulation of arterial pressure in humans. J. Appl. Physiol. 77(4): 1776-1783, 1994.

  20. Trzebski, A, Smith ML, Beightol LA, Fritsch-Yelle JM, Rea RF, Eckberg DL. Modulation of human sympathetic periodicity by mild, brief hypoxia and hypercapnia. J. Physiol. & Pharmacol. 46(1): 17-35, 1995.

  21. Smith, ML, Beightol LA, Fritsch-Yelle JM, Ellenbogen KA, Porter TR, Eckberg DL. Valsalva's maneuver revisited: A quantitative method yielding insights into human autonomic control. Am. J. of Physiol. 271(3 Pt 2): H1240-H1249, 1996.

  22. Fritsch-Yelle, JM, Brown TE. Hypoadrenergic responses to standing after spaceflight. AIAA. 3-4,1996.

  23. Fritsch-Yelle, JM, Charles JB, Jones MM, and Wood ML. Microgravity decreases heart rate and arterial pressure in humans. J. Appl. Physiol. 80(3): 910-914, 1996.

  24. McCarthy, JP, Bamman MM, Yelle JM, LeBlanc AD, Rowe RM, Greenisen MC, Lee SMC, Spector ER, Fortney SM. Resistance exercise training and the orthostatic response. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 76: 32-40, 1997.

  25. Fritsch-Yelle, JM, Whitson PA, Bondar RL, Brown TE. Subnormal norepinephrine release relates to presyncope in astronauts after spaceflight. J. Appl. Physiol. 81(5): 2134-2141, 1996.

  26. Fritsch-Yelle, JM, Leuenberger UA, D'Aunno DS, Rossum AC, Brown TE, Wood ML, Josephson ME, Goldberger AL. An episode of ventricular tachycardia during long-duration spaceflight. Am. J. Cardiol. 81: 1391-1392, 1998.

  27. Lee, SMC, Moore, Jr., AD, Fritsch-Yelle JM, Greenisen MC, Schneider SMF. Inflight exercise affects stand test responses after space flight. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 31(12): 1755-1762, 1999.

  28. Ivanov, P Ch, Bunde A, Amaral L, Havlin S, Fritsch-Yelle J, Baevsky RM, Stanley HE, Goldberger AL. Sleep-wake differences in scaling behavior of the human heartbeat: Analysis of terrestrial and long-term space flight data. Europhys.Lett. 48: 594-600, 1999.

  29. Fritsch-Yelle, JM, Convertino VA, Schlegel TT. Acute manipulations of plasma volume alter arterial pressure responses during Valsalva maneuvers. J. Appl. Physiol 86(6): 1852-1857, 1999.

  30. Meck, JV, Reyes C, Perez SA, Goldberger AL, Ziegler MG. Marked exacerbation of orthostatic intolerance after long vs. short-duration spaceflight in veteran astronauts. Psychosom Med 63(6):865-873,2001

  31. Rossum, AC, Ziegler MG, Meck JV. Effect of spaceflight on cardiovascular responses to upright posture in a 77-year old astronaut. Amer J Cardiology 88, 2001.

  32. Ziegler, MG, Meck, JV. Physical and psychological challenges of space travel; an overview. Psychosom. Med. 63:859-61, 2001.

  33. Mills, PJ, Meck JV, Waters WW, D’Aunno D, Ziegler MG. Peripheral leukocyte subpopulations and catecholamine levels in astronauts as a function of mission duration.

  34. Waters, WW, Ziegler MG, Meck JV. Postspaceflight orthostatic hypotension occurs mostly in women and is predicted by low vascular resistance. J Appl Physiol 92:586-594, 2002.

  35. Martin, DS, South DA, Wood ML, Bungo MW, Meck JV. Comparison of echocardiographic changes after short and long duration space flight. Aviat Space Environ Med 73(6):532-536, 2002.

  36. D'Aunno, DS, Dougherty AH, DeBlock HF, Meck JV. Effect of short- and long-duration spaceflight on QTc intervals in healthy astronauts. Am J Cardiol 91:494-497, 2003.

  37. Shi, S-J, Garcia KM, Meck JV. Temazepam, but not zolpidem, causes orthostatic hypotension in astronauts after spaceflight. J Cardiovasc Pharm 41:31-39. 2003.

  38. Meck, JV, Martin DS, D’Aunno DS, Waters WW. Pressor response to intravenous tyramine is a marker of cardiac, but not vascular, adrenergic function. J Cardiovasc Pharm 41:126-131, 2003.

  39. Perez, SA, Charles JB, Fortner GW, Hurst V, Meck JV. Cardiovascular effects of anti-G suit and cooling garment during space shuttle re-entry and landing. Aviat Space Environ Med 74(7):753-757, 2003.

  40. Meck, JV, Waters WW, Ziegler MG, DeBlock HF, Robertson D, Huang PL. Mechanisms of post-spaceflight orthostatic hypotension: low alpha-1-adrenergic receptor responses before flight and central autonomic dysregulation post-flight. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 286:H1486-H1495, 2004.

  41. Martin, DS, Meck JV. Presyncopal/non-presyncopal outcomes of post spaceflight stand tests are consistent from flight to flight. Aviat Space Environ Med 75(1):65-67, 2004.

  42. Shi, S-J, South DA, Meck JV. Fludrocortisone does not prevent orthostatic hypotension in astronauts after spaceflight. Aviat Space Environ Med 75:235-239, 2004.

  43. Mitchell, BM, Meck JV. Short-duration spaceflight does not prolong QTc intervals in male astronauts. Am J Cardiol 93:1051-1052, 2004.

  44. Platts, SH, Ziegler MG, Waters WW, Mitchell BM, Meck JV. Midodrine prescribed to improve recurrent post-spaceflight orthostatic hypotension. Aviat Space Environ Med 75:554-556, 2004.

  45. Waters, WW, Platts SH, Mitchell BM, Whitson PA, Meck JV. Plasma volume restoration with salt tablets and water after bed rest prevents orthostatic hypotension and changes in supine hemodynamic and endocrine variables. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 288:H839-H847, 2005.

  46. Summers, RL, Martin DS, Meck JV, Coleman TG. Mechanism of spaceflight-induced changes in left ventricular mass. Am J Cardiol 95:1128-1130, 2005.