I’m a PhD student in the Human Systems Laboratory at MIT Aeronautics & Astronautics funded through the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity (NSTGRO). My research is focused on understanding the human-environment relationship and how we can utilize architecture to mitigate cognitive, behavioral, and psychological risks in long-duration spaceflight. I work with Prof. Katya Arquilla, Jeffrey Montes, Dr. Lauren Landon, and Dr. Robert Howard on this unique blend of bioastronautical engineering, psychology, data science, architecture, and human-centered design. My research has been kindly supported by two incredibly prestigious and generous grants: the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity.

You can find me on linkedin.

Email: shuyulin [at] mit [dot] edu

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Current Projects

Mapping Architectural Factors to Behavioral Health Outcomes [In progress]

One of the largest challenges in spaceflight design is the quantifiable nature of engineering constraints (mass, volume, power) vs. architectural design constraints (comfortable, ergonomic, aesthetic). Further, we know the environment around us impacts our mood, affect, and performance – but how? The human-environment relationship is complicated, but qualifying and quantifying these relationships will allow for thoughtful architectural considerations targeting behavioral health risks to be meaningfully introduced earlier in the design process. Through a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG), I am mapping causal connections from designed factors in Isolated, Confined, and Extreme (ICE) environments to behavioral health outcomes. The acyclical nature of DAGs allows us to break out of cyclical relationships (sleep quality affecting mood, which in turn affects sleep, and so on) and to explore complex relationships with intention.

Place Attachment Theory for Long-Duration Habitats [In progress]

Human behavior is closely linked to the stressors the environment poses; ICE environments pose psychological risks to behavior and cognition. In any environment, we seek to find comfort and a sense of security, which in turn allows for increased curiosity and exploration. This is crucial for the next age of long-duration exploration missions. There is an opportunity to re-consider the habitat as a passive mitigator of behavioral health risk (BMed-104) by evaluating the psychological demand of future exploration needs and their risks on crew health & performance (HSIA-301).

find the full poster here.

presented at NASA HRP IWS ‘23

supported by NASA under grant 80NSSC22K1222

Proprioceptive Adaptation in Microgravity [Completed]

In microgravity, the proprioceptive system undergoes adaptations due to the lack of constant gravitational cues. Photo-video evidence and informal accounts of microgravity exposures demonstrate a shift in the quality of movements and the self-awareness of one’s body. I have designed a conceptual framework to investigate this shift and to document the effects of the microgravity environment on the proprioceptive system, which was validated with a wearable sensor system garment user-tested by a participant on a ZeroGravity Corp. parabolic flight in May 2022.

find the paper on the fluidity framework and prototyping process here. you can find my Master’s thesis on MIT’s DSpace repository.

presented at ACM CHI ‘22, IAC ‘22

supported by Space Exploration Initiative (Media Lab), Greenhouse Scholars, MIT Space Grant, NSF under grant no. 1745302

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Professional

Inspired by my experience in the commercial space industry, I believe we’re in the midst of a new space age. I feel incredibly privileged to be able to cultivate and push the narrative I hope to see in space exploration: the idea that psychological health is paramount, that a space habitat can be a home, and that space technology should be translated to terrestrial applications to increase the quality of life for those most failed by our society. Alongside my privilege as a higher education scholar, I am keenly familiar with the struggles that come with my marginalized identities as a queer, gender non-conforming, immigrant, low-income student. This juxtaposition has radicalized me toward a deep belief and support for access to a creative & empathetic scientific education. I am a regular lecturer for the MIT Educational Studies Program (serving middle- and high-schoolers in the Cambridge area) and a Kaufman Teaching Certificate Program Fellow.

Speaker & Community Engagement

As a Brooke Owens Fellow and a Matthew Isakowitz Fellow, I am honored to carry forward both of their legacies for a more inclusive and innovative aerospace industry. I am the founder of CU’s Women of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the first pageant contestant to be sponsored by the Society of Women Engineers. I was recipient of the Research and Diversity Graduate Awards when I graduated summa cum laude, with honors, from CU Boulder with my B.S.’s in Aerospace Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics. My community building and leadership efforts have led to me being named a Women in Aerospace Honoree, a AIAA 20 Twenties Laureate, and an AIAA Neil Armstrong Scholar. In life, I enjoy traveling, SCUBA & freediving, shooting film photography, throwing ceramics pieces, knitting & crocheting, reading, and spending time with my cat Lilith.