Dr. Tarah Castleberry graduated with a BS in Biology from Grand Canyon University and completed medical school at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. She has an MPH from Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. She completed the U.S. Navy’s Aerospace Medicine residency program and served on active duty for 7 years. Upon leaving Naval service, Tarah completed a Family Medicine residency at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She then took a position as a contracted NASA Flight Surgeon from 2009-2012, providing support for US and International Partner astronaut operations in Russia and Kazakhstan as well as ISS missions at Johnson Space Center.
Tarah transitioned to serve as the program director for the UTMB/NASA Aerospace Medicine Residency program and managed the medical personnel and administrative aspects of UTMB’s part in the Human Health and Performance Contract (HHPC) from 2013-2017. She also served as the Program Director for the UTMB General Preventive Medicine Residency program from 2013-2018.
Tarah moved on to serve as the Flight Surgeon for Virgin Galactic (VG) from August 2015-2020 and then as VG’s Chief Medical Officer from 2020 to 2022. She then transitioned to practice Family Medicine in rural Colorado until December 2024 before her return to UTMB and to KBR’s HHPC with NASA in January 2025. Tarah is board-certified in Aerospace Medicine, Family Medicine, and General Preventive Medicine.
Affiliations
- Aerospace Medical Association
- Christian Medical and Dental Association
- Medical Education International
- Space Medicine Association
- Society of NASA Flight Surgeons
- American Academy of Family Practice