Sergio R. Santa Maria

Affiliation: Fully Integrated Lifecycle Mission Support Services (FILMSS), Space Biosciences Research Branch

Professional Background

Biography:

• NASA Ames Research Center (2014 – present). Project Scientist for BioSentinel mission, involved in the design, development, and testing of biosensors for deep space radiation.
• Postdoctoral Fellow, New York University School of Medicine (2009 – 2013). My research focused on the role of different motor proteins in DNA repair and recombination and on the cellular response to DNA damage. Awarded NIH Postdoctoral Award (2010) and American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship (2011 – 2013).
• Graduate Research Assistant, University of Texas Medical Branch (2003 – 2008). Training in Molecular Biology and Genetics. My research focused on DNA repair, replication, and mutagenesis.

Education:
Ph.D., Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch
B.Sc., Biology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.

Research Interests:
My research interests include the development of space radiation biosensors for future NASA missions to deep space and understanding the role of the different DNA repair pathways (and other cellular processes) in the repair of radiation-induced DNA damage.