Dava Newman

Dr. Dava Newman is the Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics at MIT and Director of the MIT Media Lab. She holds joint appointments in the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society and Harvard-MIT Health, Sciences, and Technology. Her research focuses on aerospace biomedical engineering, advanced spacesuit design, and human performance in microgravity. Newman has led over 4 spaceflight missions, including the Skinsuit project on the ISS and the BioSuit planetary EVA system. She served as NASA Deputy Administrator (2015-2017), advocating for Mars exploration and innovation. Her honors include the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and AIAA Fellow status.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Aerospace Biomedical Engineering, MIT
• M.S. in Aerospace Engineering and Technology & Policy, MIT
• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Notre Dame

Research Interests: Newman’s work spans spacesuit innovation (BioSuit, Skinsuit), human adaptation in extreme environments, and policy for sustainable space exploration. She integrates biomechanics, AI, and VR for climate science communication (e.g., Earth Mission Control platform) and planetary exploration tools (OGIVE).

Awards:

• NASA Distinguished Service Medal (2017)
• AIAA Jeffries Aerospace Medicine Award (2020)
• Women in Aerospace Leadership Award (2019)

Advising & Grants: Supervised 90 graduate theses and mentored 200+ undergraduates. Key grants include NASA’s RESOURCE Project and MIT’s Climate Modeling Initiatives. Collaborates internationally on lunar missions and radiation protection systems.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Newman Aerospace & Biomechanics Lab at MIT, pioneering wearable tech for space and Earth. Active in the MIT Media Lab’s interdisciplinary projects on climate and space policy.