Mary Anne Bassett Frey (December 15, 1934 – September 13, 2019) was chief scientist for the

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

Neurolab

Spacelab Spacelab was a reusable laboratory developed by European Space Agency (ESA) and used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory comprised multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier, ...

module mission (

STS-90 STS-90 was a 1998 Space Shuttle mission flown by the Space Shuttle ''Columbia''. The 16-day mission marked the last flight of the European Space Agency's Spacelab laboratory module, which had first flown on ''Columbia'' on STS-9, and was also th ...

). She researched the impact of gravity on astronauts.

Early life and education

Frey attended

Montgomery College Montgomery College (MC) is a Public college, public community college in Montgomery County, Maryland. Founded officially in 1946 as Montgomery Junior College, its name comes from the county in which it is located. The earliest start date that c ...

, graduating in 1967. Frey completed a bachelor's degree in physics at

George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...

. She earned a PhD at

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

in physiology in 1975. Whilst completing her doctoral studies Frey worked as a lecturer in the Department of Physiology at the

George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (abbreviated as GW Medical School or SMHS) is the professional medical school of the George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. SMHS is one of the most selective medi ...

and

Research

Frey was appointed Assistant Professor at the

Boonshoft School of Medicine The Boonshoft School of Medicine (formerly known as Wright State University School of Medicine) is the medical school at Wright State University. It is located in Dayton, Ohio, and serves the Miami Valley region of southwestern Ohio. Instead of ...

in 1976. She developed the physiology curriculum. She studied the impact of exercise on high-density

lipoprotein A lipoprotein is a biochemical assembly whose primary function is to transport hydrophobic lipid (also known as fat) molecules in water, as in blood plasma or other extracellular fluids. They consist of a triglyceride and cholesterol center, sur ...

in women, identifying that there were not changes during ten weeks of training. She also worked on the cardiovascular response to mental stress. In 1986 she was appointed technical manager of The Bionetics Corporation at

Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 1968 ...

. She served as a

visiting scientist with the

Universities Space Research Association The Universities Space Research Association (USRA) was incorporated on March 12, 1969, in Washington, D.C. as a private, nonprofit corporation under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Institutional membership in the assoc ...

between 1987 and 1990. Frey was made professor in the ''Aerospace Medicine Residency Program''. The 1990s were designated the

Decade of the Brain The Decade of the Brain was a designation for 1990–1999 by U.S. president George H. W. Bush as part of a larger effort involving the Library of Congress and the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health "to enhanc ...

, and

decided that it was important to understand the nervous system in space. She identified that the health symptoms astronauts experience in space are similar to ageing, but occur more rapidly and appear to be reversible. She studied the impact of lower-body negative pressure (LBNP) on men and identified that neither aerobic or strength fitness impacted responses to LBNP stress. Neurolab included measurements from sympathetic nerves before and after spaceflight, as well as monitoring the

central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain and spinal cord. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity of all par ...

in rats during spaceflight. She identified the correct dose of saline astronauts could take to countermeasure postflight orthostatic intolerance. In 1993 Frey won the

Aerospace Medical Association The Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) is the largest professional organization in the fields of aviation, space, and environmental medicine. The AsMA membership includes aerospace and hyperbaric medical specialists, scientists, flight nurses, p ...

Louis H. Bauer Founders Award. She was assigned to the

Life Sciences Division in 1994 and studied the impact of space on the nervous system. Frey identified the cardiovascular and physiological responses of astronauts. She created a series of educational activities with

and the

Morehouse School of Medicine Morehouse School of Medicine is a private co-educational medical school in Atlanta, Georgia. Originally a part of Morehouse College, the school became independent in 1981. The school abbreviates its name with its initials "MSM." History Esta ...

. She studied the impact of aging on the cardiovascular response to postural change. In 1995 Frey won the

Hubertus Strughold Hubertus Strughold (June 15, 1898 – September 25, 1986) was a German-born physiologist and prominent medical researcher. Beginning in 1935 he served as chief of aeromedical research for Hermann Göring's Ministry of Aviation, holding this posi ...

Award of the Space Medicine Association for her "significant contributions to space medicine".

launched on April 16, 1998. Frey served on the board of editors of the

journal.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frey, Mary Anne 1945 births 2019 deaths American physiologists Women physiologists NASA people Montgomery College alumni Columbian College of Arts and Sciences alumni Wright State University faculty 20th-century American scientists 20th-century American women scientists 21st-century American scientists 21st-century American women scientists