I graduated from Stanford studying Human Biology with a concentration in Space Medicine and am currently working at Harvard Medical School's Center for Space Medicine Research and Innovative Biomaterials Lab. I am fascinated with the past and future of medicine and am passionate about bringing innovation from orbit to bedside and protecting public health during the New Space Age.
Currently a Research Trainee and Director of Student Engagement at the Center for Space Medicine Research
Researcher at the Innovative Biomaterials Lab and Cellular Biophysics of Innate Immunity Lab to investigate the effects of microgravity on the skin immune cell environment
Interned at NASA Health & Air Quality to explore intersections of environmental health and public policy
Founded Cards 4 Kids to spread the joy of sports with pediatric patients
Served as Biology Team Lead of the Stanford Space Initiative
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Phipps ME*, Baker PR*, Bachmann L*, Park S, Perez MJ*, Sharma SN*, Soto-Hernandez Y*, Gaerlan M, Carrillo M, Ceva S, Chundi S, Diallo B, Fong JN, Huang K, Jackson J, Padilla J, Quintana L, Santa Maria K, Sarkisian SM, Sequeira PR, Tatlock EU, Juarez BH, Akbari N, Madrzyk M, O'Connell LA. Olfactory cues elicit species-specific locomotive responses in poison frog tadpoles. MicroPublication Biology, May 2025 (*Contributed equally) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40503013/
Gaerlan M, Carrillo M, Ceva S, Chundi S, Diallo B, Fong JN, Huang K, Jackson J, Padilla J, Quintana L, Santa Maria K, Sarkisian SM, Sequeira PR, Tatlock EU, Baker PR, Bachmann L, Park S, Perez MJ, Phipps ME, Sharma SN, Soto-Hernandez Y, Juarez BH, Mena C, Morales G, Gonzalez M, Fiocca K, Bradon N, Madrzyk M, O'Connell LA. Velvety tree ant extract is a chemotaxis repellent for C. elegans. MicroPublication Biology, May 2025 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40535527/
Kassels A, Arora JS, Sharma SN, Sharma AN. A Systematic Review of the Effects of Space and Simulated Microgravity on Dermatologic Conditions. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD) Reviews, September 2024 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950198924000011
Sharma SN. Did the Black Death give birth to the healthcare hero? Journal of Infection, November 2023 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37634846/
Sharma SN, Meller LT, Sharma AN, Amsterdam EA. Cardiovascular Adaptations of Space Travel: A Systematic Review. Cardiology, June 2023 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10614241/
Sharma SN, Sharma SN, Sharma AN, Sharma AN, Sharma JK. Implementing a skin cancer prevention lesson to enact institutional change: a schoolwide survey. Dermatology, March 2022 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35344957/
Sharma AN, Deyell JS, Sharma SN, Barseghian A. Role of and Recent Evidence for Antiplatelet Therapy in Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Diabetes. Current Cardiology Reports, June 2019 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31254105/
Other Writing
Sharma SN. Novel NASA Technologies for Health and Air Quality Predictive Modeling. One Health Newsletter, October 2024 https://olathe.k-state.edu/research/one-health-newsletter/issues/vol16-iss1/using-national-aeronautics-and-space-administration.html
Sharma SN. Space-Based Technologies to Inform Public Health Decisions. American Public Health Association One Health Newsletter, March 2024 https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/2dxFKwafmhcOL
Sharma SN. The Gold of Sacramento Valley: Experienced Physicians and their Nuggets of Advice. Sierra Sacramento Valley Museum of Medical History Article Series, 2021-23 https://museumofmedicalhistory.org/physician-interviews
Sharma SN. Uncharted Waters. California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Blog, August 2019 https://cirmsparkucdavis.wordpress.com/2019/08/02/uncharted-waters-by-shay-nair-sharma/
Sharma SN, Fisher PG. Cards 4 Kids: Sports-Inspired Joy for Pediatric Patients, Stanford Human Biology Gelles Symposium, May 16, 2025
Sharma SN, Kim D. Implementing One Health and Climate Content into Medical Curriculum, Medical Students for a Sustainable Future Medical Trainee Climate Health Equity Day, March 2, 2025
Sharma SN, Sharma SN, Young MA, Hahn TP. Waveform and spectrogram analysis to determine acoustically distinct contact calls in two subspecies of a New World warbler, Setophaga coronata, Speech and Audio in the Northeast, Oct 17, 2024
Nguyen B, Akkad G, Meller L, Sharma SN, Baxter SL, Huang AA. Weightlessness and Space Travel Induced Ocular Adaptations: Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis, Women in Ophthalmology, August 22-25, 2024
Sharma SN, Chapman H, Judd L, Haynes J, Pierce J, Stumpf R, Kumar R. Space-Enabled Solutions for Health and Air Quality, NASA Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team Massachusetts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, June 4-6, 2024
Sharma SN, Stark MC. Space Biology: Addressing Astronaut Health Challenges, Harvard OpenBio Conference, Harvard, Boston, MA, April 20, 2024
Sharma SN, Pascal D, Zhang Y, Yang K, Sharma SN, King J. An everyday object for biometric monitoring. MIT Grand Hack, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, April 19-21, 2024
Sharma SN, Mubarokah MA, Esterini DN, Sharma SN, Muharram FR. Improving the Cascade of Care in Indonesia with Artificial Intelligence. Harvard Health Systems Innovation Lab Hackathon, Harvard, Boston, MA, April 5-6, 2024
Sharma SN, Chapman H, Judd L, Haynes J, Wimberly M, Stumpf R. NASA Space-Based Technology Applications for Public Health, Medical Students for a Sustainable Future Medical Trainee Climate Health Equity Day, February 10, 2024
Kassels A, Arora JS, Sharma SN, Sharma AN. Space Dermatology: Cutaneous Changes from the Final Frontier, San Diego Dermatology Symposium, February 2-4, 2024
Sharma SN. Did the Black Death give birth to the healthcare hero?, TEDx Woodside, December 2, 2023 https://youtu.be/lND4R-6Xn2Q?si=4QEGxwaWjHmbyBF7
Sharma SN, Akuli N, Flores RS, Thiam HR. Microfluidic Loading of Neutrophils and NETosis Assay Analysis. Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Seed Grants Program Symposium, Sept 1, 2023
Sharma SN, Chapman H, Judd L, Haynes J, Barker C, Insaf T, Pierce J. NASA Satellite Data for Population Health Protection, Special Edition of the GEO Health Community of Practice: The Americas, August 29, 2023
Sharma SN, Chapman H, Judd L, Haynes J. NASA Health and Air Quality Applications, NASA Applied Sciences Program / Earth Action Showcase, August 10, 2023
Sharma SN, Chapman H, Judd L, Haynes J, Barker C, Insaf T, Pierce J. Innovative Earth Science Applications to Address Environmental Health Challenges, AmeriGEO Week, San Jose, Costa Rica, August 7-12, 2023
Sharma SN. Wildsounds Explorers Final Composition: Jasper in the Ridge, Stanford Arts Intensive Showcase, September 22, 2022
Sharma SN, Meller L, Sharma AN. Characterizing the Cardiovascular Adaptations of Space Travel, Cardiology World Conference, September 14-15, 2022
Sharma SN, Sharma SN, Young MA, Hahn TP. Acoustically distinct contact calls of two subspecies of a New World warbler, Setophaga coronata, The Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology, January 3-7, 2021
Sharma SN, Sharma JK. The Impact of a Skin Care and Skin Cancer Prevention Lesson on the Knowledge and Behaviors of High School Students, American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting, ePoster and Oral Presentation, Denver, CO, Mar 20, 2020
Sharma SN. Sun Wars: The Rise of Sunblocker, TEDx Talk Sheldon High School, Jan 18, 2020 https://youtu.be/2UNL2ma9oDU?si=ucFsCq_Jw2Iek_66
Sharma SN, Pham B, Perotti N, Fury B, Bauer G. Identifying the Optimal Cell Type for Secreting Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, CIRM SPARK Annual Conference, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, Aug 12, 2019
Joshua Lederberg Award for Academic Excellence in Human Biology; Stanford, 2025
Human Skin Disease Resource Center Scholar Grant; Harvard Medical School, 2025
Dr. Gerald Soffen Memorial Fund Award for Space Science Education, 2024
Strauss Scholarship, Stanford Finalist, 2024
MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund Awardee, 2024
Student Speaker Travel Award Climate Health Day, 2024
NASA AWG Travel Award, 2023
Bio-X Undergraduate Fellowship, 2023
Humanities Research Intensive Fellowship, 2022
Serotonin Surge Thrive Scholar, 2021
President's Gold Volunteer Service Award, 2021
Wildcat Elite Award, 2021
Mayor’s Volunteer Award as Young Volunteer of the Year in Elk Grove, 2019
Society for Science and Public Award for Community Innovation, 2019
Summer Program to Accelerate Regenerative Medicine Knowledge Scholar Award, 2019
Sacramento STEM Fair 1st place poster in Behavioral and Social Sciences, 2019
California Science & Engineering Fair Qualifier, 2019
SHAY NAIR SHARMA
EMAIL:
ssharma58@bwh.harvard.edu