Reconnect... with Nate Szewczyk

I regularly field questions about the vast scope of research being conducted at the Heritage College. Since the arrival of Nate Szewczyk, Ph.D., in 2020, more and more of these inquiries have been along the lines of ‘What does space flight have to do with medicine?’

As the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Ralph S. Licklider, D.O. Endowed Professor in Molecular Medicine, Nate dominated OHIO headlines in 2021 after sending 3 million worms to the International Space Station aboard NASA’s SpaceX. The experiment was designed, in part, to improve nerve and muscle health during space flight. But astronauts are not the only ones who stand to benefit from the ongoing investigation.

Click below to hear from Nate about the far-reaching applications of his research through the Ohio Musculoskeletal & Neurological Institute (OMNI).

In a day and age when insufficient physical activity is the 4th leading risk factor for mortality, OMNI research has taken on new significance, and Nate’s exploration into muscle atrophy during space flight is no exception.

“When we start taking those results from space flight and applying them to diabetes, or applying them to people who are getting old or people with muscle disease, that’s where it fits within the bigger picture … and there is a tremendous opportunity there,” he explains.

Thank you for taking time to reconnect and learn about the work of one of our outstanding OMNI researchers, whose focus on astronaut health is ultimately supporting health for all.

Ken Johnson, D.O.