Women in Space 2023
The NottSpace team is happy to invite you to the second edition of Women in Space!
Friday, 9th of June 2023
09:45 - 17:30
Aerospace Design Studio, L2-B108, University Park
If you cannot attend in person, you can join via Microsoft Teams
Agenda
9.45 - 10.00: Welcome and event introduction
10.00 - 11.00: Challenges and chances in space research from different point of views
- 10.00 - 10.30: Space Agency: Elisabetta Lamboglia - European Space Agency Cost engineer & Climate and Sustainability Leader - Being a professional woman at ESA
- 10.30 - 11.00: SME: Dr. Sara Rocci Denis - Founder & CEO EAT Freedom - Eat like an Astronaut: Facts, Myths and Science About Space Food
- 11.00 - 11.30: Academia: Lydia Johnson Kolaparambil Varghese - University of Perugia and European Society of Aerospace Medicine - Space Medicine Applications
- 11.30 - 12.00: Academia: Rocio Valera Falla & Rebecca Blum - University of Nottingham and Brown University - Asclepios Mission
12.00 - 13.30: Coffee Break and Networking
13.30 - 15.30: Research and Projects in Space led by women
- 13.30 - 13.50: Dr. Chantal Cappelletti - Satellite miniaturization: What is the future?
- 13.50 - 14.10: Dr. Li Shean - Pushing the boundaries of Astropharmacy
- 14.10 - 14.30: Alice Wingfield - PhD student - VITA Mission
- 14.30 - 14.50: Tasneem Yousif - PhD student - AstroJam payload
- 14.50 - 15.10: Ceci Marsicovetere - Universidade del Valle Guatemala - Space Research in Guatemala
- 15.10 - 15.30: Q&A Session
15.30 - 16.00: Coffee Break and networking
16.00 - 17.00: Practical Activity: space systems hands-on project
About the Speakers
Elisabetta Lamboglia
Elisabetta Lamboglia is a senior professional with extensive expertise in space systems, programmatic, and strategic planning. Remarkably, already at the age of 23 she completed her first professional experience as maintenance engineer at Alitalia S.p.A, at 26 she participated to the UNISAT-4 launch campaign at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and shortly thereafter, she first joined ESTEC, the European Space Technological Center of the European Space Agency (ESA). With a Master of Science degree in Astronautic Engineering, earned with the highest honours, Elisabetta embarked on a journey at the International Space University at the NASA Ames Research Centre in 2009, where she made significant contributions to the DREAM project for The World Bank Group. After a working experience in the Marine and Off-Shore Industry, her unwavering enthusiasm for exploring our Planet Earth led her to take on the role of external officer for the PRISMA project of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) in 2013, and in 2015, she pursued a postgraduate degree in International Relations at the London School of Economics (LSE). Elisabetta serves as an influential advocate for women in STEM fields, both in Italy (through 100esperte.it ) and throughout Europe. Currently Ph.D candidate in geo information at 'Tor Vergata', she leads various endeavours related to the ESA Climate and Sustainability and Cost Engineering for the Earth Observation programs.
Dr. Sara Rocci Denis
Born and raised near Torino, Italy, Dr. Sara Rocci Denis stepped on her first 4,000 m peak at aged 11. From her parents and from devouring books by Salgari, Bonatti and Messner, she developed a passion for exploration and mountaineering that shaped her life.
After graduating as an Aerospace Engineer from Politecnico di Torino she moved to Germany and completed her PhD in supersonic combustion at TU München.
Driven by advancing the status quo, she joined GE Global Research in 2008 and worked on technology innovation for products spanning from mining vehicles to wind turbines to gas and aero engines. In 2012 she transitioned to GE Aviation, supporting development and certification of several engine types from component to flight testing. In 2020 Dr. Rocci Denis was appointed a full member of the Design Board for Combustion Aero and Mechanical Design. Her current technical focus at GE Aerospace is on sustainable aviation fuels and supporting new technology maturation in her role of Senior Engineer. In 2016 Dr. Rocci Denis set on the EAT Freedom journey to put her passion and experience at the service of both nature and the needs of the outdoor adventurer, living the mantra “To serve you meals that serve our planet”. She formally founded the start-up in 2021 and in the same year successfully developed and delivered the bonus food allowance for ESA Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti during her 2022 Mission Minerva to the International Space Station.
Lydia Johnson Kolaparambil Varghese
Born in India and raised in Italy, Lydia Johnson Kolaparambil Varghese is a medical intern in emergency medicine. From her passion for space medicine research, she has become a leader in the field and is actively involved with the European Society of Aerospace Medicine (ESAM)-Space Medicine Group and the Circle of Experts in Aerospace Medicine. Lydia has worked on several fascinating projects, including writing guidelines for CPR methods in microgravity with the ESAM-Space Medicine Group, analyzing central nervous system neoplasms in microgravity, and observing the behavior of Glioblastoma under ionizing radiations and microgravity. She also participated in the VFR-eFAST experiment: Mars Simulation (AMADEE20 Science). Driven by her passion for aerospace medicine, Lydia has presented several her researches at international aerospace medicine conferences and talks. Her dedication to the field was recognized when she received the Top Talent Under 25 award. Currently, Lydia is working to create a space medicine faculty in Europe and a space medicine society in India. In her role as a leader in the field, she continues to advance the status quo and shape the future of space medicine.
Rocio Valera Falla
I’m a MEng Aerospace student, with great interest in the field of space exploration. Currently I’m doing my final year project on the On-Board Data Handling (OBDH) system design for an astropharmacy experiment cube that is been developed under ESA’s Orbit your Thesis program. In the past, I have worked designing and developing different CubeSats missions for earth observation and space debris tracking. Additionally, I gained one year of professional experience as Satellite Spectrum Coordination and Interference Analyst at ManSat. During my time at ManSat, I successfully assessed and supported the introduction of ground-breaking technologies and innovative solutions by developing Radio Frequency interference analyses. Outside of my degree, I have been part of the university CubeSat team for the past 3 years, which has provided me with hands-on experience in spacecraft mission operations. Furthermore, I’m part of a student-led analog mission called Asclepios, where I serve as an analog astronaut. Participating in extreme environment trainings has allowed me to further enhance my skill set, including teamwork, collaboration, mental resilience and the ability to thrive under pressure and challenging conditions.
Dr. Chantal Cappelletti
Dr Chantal is currently an Assistant Professor at University of Nottingham, where she is affiliated with the Nottingham Geospatial Institute and Gas Turbine & Transmissions Research Centre. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor at the University of Brasilia (Brazil) and a visiting researcher at Morehead State University (USA). She is a co-founder of the Italian company GAUSS Srl, whose main business is small satellite components and launch providers. As CEO of the company, she procured the launch of several satellites from different countries and the first PocketQubesat launch ever. She has led 6 satellite projects involving students from different countries and universities. She is an active member of the International Academy of Astronautics and chairwoman of the IAA Latin American CubeSat workshop. Recently she established the UoN CubeSat program NottSpace, involving students from different disciplines and faculties. Currently, Dr Chantal and her team are working on 4 satellite projects (leading on two of these), and has several international collaborations in Europe, Brazil, Argentina and United States.
Dr. Li Shean
Li Shean is a pharmacist and an experienced researcher combining both in depth qualitative and quantitative methodologies to inform and change practice and policy. Her work in Astropharmacy includes understanding pharmacology and exploring medication safety, osteoporosis, and pharmacy services in space (federal and commercial). She is funded by the United Kingdom Space Agency and European Space Agency (ESA). She led the pioneering inclusion of Pharmacological Countermeasures ESA 2021 SciSpacE Roadmap. Li Shean also consults and advice the Royal Society and the Committee on the Peaceful Uses Of Outer Space, United Nations. She recently won the European Space Leader Award for her work from the Space Generation Advisory Council.
Alice Wingfield
I studied Biological Sciences at Oxford Brookes University where I found my love of laboratory research. I moved on to work as a research technician after my undergrad across a few protein research laboratories for 5 years prior to starting a PhD. I have worked with insect cells and baculoviruses to produce proteins in Oxford Expression Technologies, I then moved on to work with plant-based expression systems in Tobacco and Arabidopsis when working at Oxford Brookes University, I then finished off working as a technician in University of Nottingham with the Regenerative Medicine and Cellular Therapies group. I am now working through my first year of PhD with Phil Williams as my primary supervisor. We are aiming to create a protein therapeutic patch using a cell-free production system for use in space flight. We are using this system as it can be used as a “just-add-water and DNA” to get your desired protein therapeutic out to be used which would be perfect for space flight where energy constraints are tight.
Tasneem Yousif
Tasneem Yousif is presently a Ph.D. candidate at the Nottingham Geospatial Institute. In 2022, she was awarded the EPSRC UKRI Scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. She earned her MSc in Electronic Communication and Computer Engineering from the University of Nottingham, with distinction and secured the second-highest class mark in 2019. She was also a scholar of the Developing Solutions master’s Scholarship during her time at the University of Nottingham. Beyond her academic pursuits, she has demonstrated significant professional expertise. She has served as a Senior System Engineer at The BENEFIT Company in Bahrain and also holds a part-time lecturer position at the University of Technology Bahrain. Her research areas are GNSS interference monitoring, GNSS receivers, and Reconfigurable computing using FPGA. She is one of the winners of the Richard E. Merwin Student Scholarship in 2022. Also, she received the Grace Hopper scholarship awarded for active women in technical fields by the AnitaBorg Institute in the United States.
Cecilia Marsicovetere
Cecilia Marsicovetere, born November 27, 1995, is a mechatronics engineer from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) graduating with Magna Cum Laude honors. As a girl, she dreamed of being a lot of things, but the one constant was her wish to learn and help. She found the best path to this through engineering. She was a research fellow in the habitat sector for Engineering for Change in 2018, where she learned how to use engineering for the benefit of underserved communities. From 2017 to 2019, she was part of Quetzal-1, the first Guatemalan satellite. She was part of the power subsystem, which she eventually led, and supported other subsystems with documentation and testing. She has presented in conferences and workshops for thousands of students in middle school and high school to talk about Quetzal-1, and women in engineering. She aims to inspire the youth to follow their dreams, especially in STEM. In addition to this, she was a volunteer for CISV, an organization that aims to educate and promote peace through intercultural exchanges. She also volunteered 2012-2020 in Techo, which aims to end poverty through training and action from communities and volunteers. In her free time, she likes reading, learning, and drawing. She is currently the makerspace coordinator at UVG's D-HIVE.
Where to find us
We're on the second floor of the L2 building, in the room next to the "Aerospace Engineering" flags. There'll be signs showing the way on the day.
The L2 building is just next to Coates Road Auditorium, behind the Coates building in the engineering and science zone of University Park.