Experience what it's like living and working as an analog astronaut therapist. Discover how research on missions that are in space simulated environments can provide insight into mental wellness for all humans. Explore the future of human spaceflight and find out how these important discoveries impact everyone on Earth. Enjoy a presentation full of fun and captivating pictures and descriptions from an analog astronaut. Finally, bring your space questions to be answered after the presentation.

After my presentation is over, I want my audience to understand the importance of mental wellness during long duration spaceflight analog astronaut research missions so that the next generation of astronauts and all current Earthlings can thrive while reaching their full potential.

Sharife Gacel, MS, LMHC, LPC, QS is an Analog Astronaut, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a passion for sharing space with others. She served as the Medical Officer at the HI-SEAS habitat in Hawaii as part of the “Lokahi” mission and her ongoing research is, “The Impact of Crew Isolation and Lunar Simulation on Human Behavior.” She received her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Stetson University. She also attended St. Matthew's University School of Veterinary Medicine, received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and Microbiology from the University of Central Florida. Sharife has a private practice that she founded over 10 years ago and specializes in life transitions, anxiety, and general mental health concerns. She has been selected to participate in 6 NASA Social events. She also manages the social media accounts for her adopted greyhounds Anubis and Cosmos to an audience of 25,000+ people worldwide. Sharife is an amateur astronomer, Divemaster scuba diver, space educator, animal lover, and visual artist. She enjoys watching rocket launches and loves connecting with others about human spaceflight.