In fall 2021 we publicly released Space Medicine on Coursera. It’s a free course designed to give an introduction to the basics of physiology and how the environment of space and other planets complicates health.
As featured in Duke School of Medicine: Magnify, CBS News, and the Duke Chronicle my collaborator Nick Saba and I built the world’s first undergraduate taught Coursera Course.
With a private launch this summer to over 300 students, a full and free course launched in November 2021.
The Course
The highlights of our 12 week Duke seminar have been converted into a six week class. We start with history and astrobiology before exploring several health systems and their relations to the extreme hazards posed by interplanetary travel.
Nick and I are committed to sharing the growing field of space medicine with as many students as possible and have kept the full certificate granting course free for all students - an unprecedented decision in Duke’s Coursera catalog.
Check back soon for links to the publicly available version of the course.
Duke Learning Innovation
Without the assistance of the Duke Learning Innovation this course would never have come to fruition. Nick and I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to Megan Lancaster, Quentin Ruiz-Esparza, Michael Blair, Nick “Grogu” Janes, and William Williamson.
Complementary Podcast
The next move for Nick and me will be creating a companion podcast. The Spherical Cows Podcast will feature additional guest speakers in the field of bioastronautics as well as answers to questions posed by students taking the course.