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Alumni Affairs Dr. Emily Morey-Holton Guest Speaker at 2007 Research Induction Ceremony
She is a distinguished contributor to the science of gravitational and space biology, and one of the founders of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology. Her contributions to both science and to society are numerous. As senior chief scientist of the BioSciences Division at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, Morey-Holton is considered a world expert and contributor to the understanding of the adaptations of the skeleton to spaceflight. She worked with NASA and other scientific communities to help them understand many of biological responses astronauts face when exposed to prolonged weightlessness. She has published more than 250 papers and abstracts on aspects of calcium metabolism, bone growth, and bone biomechanics. She has participated as Principal Investigator or Co-investigator in experiments on five Russian unmanned biological satellites, as well as on the U. S. Shuttle Spacelabs and middeck locker experiments. Her lab envisioned the 'rat model,' and over the years developed the model into a test system used by numerous US and foreign scientists for a wide variety of physiological studies including bone, muscle, hormone, and fluid shift related studies. These studies have extended beyond those related to space and have demonstrated the relevance of gravitational research to Earth-based problems. Her own research on the effects of gravity and spaceflight on bone formation, resorption modeling, and remodeling has made a seminal contribution to the field. In addition, she has been a mentor to legions of young scientists, providing encouragement, training, and experience. Prior to her career with NASA, Dr. Morey-Holton spent several years teaching and conducting research at the University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University Medical Centers. She has received numerous awards, including AIAA Jeffries Medical Research Award, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, president of the American Society of Gravitational and Space Biology, NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, NASA Special Achievement Award, NASA-Ames Associate Fellowship and, in 1990 was inducted into the WVU Academy of Distinguished Alumni. She currently serves on the WVU HSC National Advisory Council. |
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Emily R. Morey-Holton holds three degrees from WVU: a bachelor's degree in liberal arts in 1958, a master's degree in Pharmacology in 1961, and a PhD in Pharmacology in 1964.