Marietta College will welcome Dr. Jonathan Clark, a renowned neurologist and space medicine expert, to deliver the Fall 2025 Krause Science Lecture. His presentation, “Enhancing Health, Safety, and Resilience in Space and Beyond,” will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Alma McDonough Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public, and no tickets are required.
In 2003, the NASA Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon its return to Earth, killing all seven of the astronauts on board, including Dr. Laurel Clark. Laurel’s husband, Jonathan, was a NASA flight surgeon, and he later participated in the investigation of the disaster. In addition to being a tragic personal loss, that event dramatically shaped the rest of Jonathan Clark’s professional career.
Over the past two decades, Dr. Clark has combined his academic interests, his military experience, and his biomedical prowess to examine a wide range of topics. His work expands beyond space and aeronautical explorations. In his Krause Science Lecture, Dr. Clark will discuss the ways that issues of health, safety, and resilience inform a broad spectrum of exploration. From high altitude free-fall to Mars missions, to interpersonal and organizational leadership, Dr. Clark will consider the ways the exploration is intricately tied to the human condition and the lessons we can all learn about resilience and flourishing.
Dr. Clark, adjunct associate professor of neurology and space medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, brings decades of aerospace, medical, and military experience, including 26 years of active-duty service in the U.S. Navy. He has served as a U.S. naval flight officer, flight surgeon, diver, U.S. Army parachutist and special forces free-fall parachutist. Clark’s military assignments ranged from heading research facilities and the neurology and hyperbaric medicine divisions at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute to combat medical evacuation missions with the U.S. Marine Corps during Operation Desert Storm.
Clark spent eight years at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where he was a space shuttle crew surgeon on six missions, chief of the Medical Operations Branch and a senior Federal Aviation Administration aeromedical examiner. He also played key roles on NASA research and advisory teams dedicated to spacecraft safety, EVA systems, and space medicine. Additionally, he served as a space medicine advisor for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute for more than a decade.
Clark’s professional interests focus on the neurologic effects of extreme environments, crew resilience and crew survival in space. He has served as chief medical officer for Excalibur Almaz and for the Inspiration Mars Foundation, as well as medical director for the Red Bull Stratos project, which achieved the highest stratospheric free-fall parachute jump in history. Clark is an experienced space medicine consultant, working alongside commercial space companies, including Space Perspective, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic, on human performance and safety in commercial spaceflight. He is board-certified in neurology and aerospace medicine and is a fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association.
“We are honored to have Dr. Clark join us as the 2025 Krause Lecturer. His broad interests in science and the human condition align perfectly with those of the late Dr. Richard Krause,” said Dr. Mark Miller, professor of mathematics and leadership. “Dr. Krause’s pioneering work with infectious diseases opened new frontiers in medicine and public health. It is in this spirit of discovery and exploration that Dr. Clark applies his expertise with equal parts warmth and passion.”
In addition to the evening lecture, Dr. Clark will participate in Marietta College’s Physics Colloquium Series earlier that day, giving a presentation, “Effects of Space and High-Altitude Exploration on the Human Body,” at noon in the Selby 150 lecture hall of the Rickey Science Center. His visit will also coincide with the Discover Careers of the Future Day, an outreach program coordinated by Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C) that invites area high school students interested in STEM to explore science and space-related fields through hands-on activities with Marietta College faculty and students.
The Krause Lecture Series, established in 2002, is supported by gifts from the late Dr. Richard M. Krause ’47, the son of E.L. and Jennie Mae Krause. Dr. Krause served on the College’s Board of Trustees for 22 years and was a renowned physician, microbiologist, immunologist and former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. For more information about the Krause Lecture Series, contact Dr. Mark Miller, professor of mathematics and leadership, at 740-376-4811, or visit marietta.edu/event/krause-lecture-features-dr-jonathan-clark.