Aerospace Medical Research and Safety Assurance Division
The division executes the FAA’s Aeromedical Research Program, which focuses on safety sensitive personnel and airline passenger health, safety, and performance in current and forecasted future civilian aerospace operations. The division also supports ongoing operational safety functions through its radiobiology and pilot incapacitation, incident, and accident medical case review/toxicological analysis programs. For current and completed research, please visit the following websites:
Transportation Research Board Research in Progress
Note:The link above will take you to all active divisional research project(s).
National Transportation Library Repository & Open Science Access Portal (ROSA-P)
Note: This site is for completed research.
The Aerospace Medical Research and Safety Assurance Division is organized as two branches:
Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Branch
Performs comprehensive toxicological analyses on biological specimens collected from pilots in fatal aircraft accidents to aid National Transportation Safety Board investigators in determining causal factors. Collects and manages records and associated aeromedical data evolving from pilot incapacitation events, incidents and non-fatal accidents and investigations of fatal accidents and supports related medical case reviews. Conducts research to identify reliable molecular biomarkers indicative of the presence of aerospace stressors affecting safety and develops and validates tests to detect these biomarkers for use in aviation accident investigations.
Human Protection and Survival Research Branch
Collects, consolidates, and publishes data on radiation risks for flight planning and alerting systems for use by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the global aerospace operations community. Consolidates collected pilot health and safety information, researching novel ways to use it to quantify, visualize, and mitigate aerospace medical risks. Conducts research to improve occupant protection and survival before, during and after civil aerospace accidents, contributing to the development of national and international aviation safety equipment standards, guidance, and procedures.