Crew 179 - Wilderness Medical Society

Benjamin Easter – Commander

Benjamin Easter is an Emergency Medicine physician at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed residency at Denver Health Medical Center. He is currently doing a fellowship in Operations, Quality, and Safety at University of Colorado Hospital. His interests include space medicine and wilderness medicine.

Dr Alicia Tucker – Behavioral Health Officer

Dr. Alicia Tucker, FACEM, FAWM, MBBS(hons), BMedSci, is an Emergency Physician from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Alicia has previously worked with The Royal Flying Doctors Service in Outback Australia and as a Ships Physician on Expedition Ice breakers to the Antarctic Peninsula. Alicia has Fellowships in both Emergency Medicine and Wilderness Medicine and has professional interests of Trauma and Medical Education. As a child, Alicia was fascinated by the wonder of Space. Having worked in austere environments before, she wanted to experience the challenge of living in one of the final frontiers and learning more about Aerospace Medicine with Crew 179 at the MDRS. Alicia wishes to thank her husband, Greg Stanton, for looking after their two boys, Griffin and Edgar, while she is on Mars.

Winnie Romeril – Crew Mechanic

Winnie Romeril, MA, BA, FP-C, NR-P, CCEMTP, has been delivering critical medical care in rural & austere environments (US & Haiti) for over 20 years, and is currently working as a flight paramedic in upstate NY. She has 25+ years of public speaking expertise as a crisis spokesperson (in English and Spanish), lecturer and training consultant for groups operating in global conflict environments, catastrophic disasters and epidemics, including travel to over 40 countries. She is currently finishing up her FAWM.

Richard Cole – Health and Safety Officer

Richard Cole completed an emergency medicine and aerospace medicine residency in addition to an ultrasound fellowship. He practices emergency medicine and works for a NASA subcontractor where he served in multiple roles including a flight surgeon for three International Space Station expeditions. He is co-author of the current Space Medicine Chapter in Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine textbook. Rick has served as the member-at-large of the Society of NASA Flight Surgeons, is an Associate Fellow of the Aerospace Medicine Association (AsMA), and has received numerous NASA awards.

Dana Levin – Crew Journalist

Dana Levin is an Emergency Medicine Physician in Houston, Texas and currently training as a resident in Aerospace Medicine with UTMB. He Graduated Drexel University College of Medicine and went on to residency at New York Presbyterian before moving south. Prior to his career in medicine he trained as a pilot and a dive master and continues to pursue research interests in space and aviation medicine. He is also director of the Exploration Medicine podcast.

Dinesh Deonarain – Executive Officer

Dinesh Deonarain is a general practitioner and urgent care doctor from Canada currently practicing in New Zealand. He has completed his fellowship in wilderness medicine (FAWM) in 2012 and a diploma in mountain medicine in 2014. His outdoor medicine experience includes recent volunteer work the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) in Nepal and training and expedition on all 7 continents. His interest in practicing in austere locations has led him to the ‘last frontier’ of wilderness medicine: space. He is excited about the opportunity of participating in a simulated extra-terrestrial environment at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.

Kevin McCaffery – Crew Engineer

Kevin McCaffery is an Intensive Care Paediatrician who trained in Scotland but has spent the last decade practicing in Brisbane, Australia. His dichotomous personality simultaneously revels in both high technology critical care, and also creative problem solving in austere environments. With duct tape and paracord, usually. Kevin expects to complete his FAWM this year.

Sarah Hulme – Astronaut Strength and Conditioning Coach

Sarah Hulme, BHB MBChB FRACS (Plastic), is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon from Auckland, New Zealand. She is a keen mountaineer and climber and from expeditions conquering summits on earth – she has now set her sights further afar. She is interested in learning more about how teams of diverse high achieving individuals come together to function as effective team mates in challenging or austere conditions to achieve their goals. What applies to Everest expeditions has similarities with space missions- and hopefully this can also be applied to advocacy in advanced surgical training such as in Chairing the New Zealand Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Adam Mildenberger – Crew Scientist

Adam Mildenberger is a first year rural family medicine resident Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada. Adam believes there are strong similarities between rural medicine and space medicine, like working in resource limited areas and often with limited backup.

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