Cowings, Patricia

Impact on the world

Her patented technique allows astronauts to regulate physiological functions like heart rate and breathing to counteract motion sickness in space, becoming the first African-American woman to undergo NASA scientist-astronaut training.

Life & background

An aerospace psychophysiologist at NASA, Cowings became the first African-American woman to undergo scientist-astronaut training and developed and patented the autogenic-feedback training exercise, a method that helps individuals regulate physiological responses such as heart rate, breathing, and perspiration to manage motion sickness and stress in space and high-pressure environments.

Sources

1. Women in Tech Network; NASA.gov (Ames Research Center profile)