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Giuseppe Iaria, PhD is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Calgary (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), with appointments in the Department of Psychology, the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute. He is an internationally recognized leader in human spatial cognition and space health research, with over two decades of contributions spanning basic neuroscience, clinical translation, and astronaut health.
Dr. Iaria is a pioneer in investigating the behavioral and neurobiological effects of spaceflight on the human brain. Through research funded by the Canadian Space Agency and conducted at NASA, his work has demonstrated how long-duration missions aboard the International Space Station induce structural and functional brain changes associated with microgravity, radiation exposure, isolation, and confinement. These findings have advanced space health research while also informing Earth-based clinical conditions that share similar neurocognitive challenges.
In addition to his spaceflight research, Dr. Iaria is widely known for discovering Developmental Topographical Disorientation (DTD), a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting spatial orientation, and for leading large-scale international studies on navigation across the lifespan. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals, with over 8,000 citations.
Dr. Iaria is the Founder and Director of the Canadian Space Health Research Network (CSHRNet), a rapidly growing international community of more than 1,300 researchers and trainees dedicated to advancing space health science. Under his leadership, CSHRNet has established strategic partnerships with organizations including the Canadian Space Agency, NASA, ESA, Axiom Space, and the Translational Research Institute for Space Health.
As Co-Chair of the Space Health Session at the International Space Development Conference, Dr. Iaria brings a transdisciplinary perspective that bridges neuroscience, medicine, space operations, and human performance, fostering dialogue and collaboration to support safe, sustainable, and human-centered space exploration.