
Building Spaceflight: NASA Human Performance Optimization with Maj Danielle Anderson & Christi Keeler, MS, ATC
04/17/23 • 48 min
Building Spaceflight: NASA Human Performance Optimization with Maj Danielle Anderson & Christi Keeler, MS, ATC
It's the second week of our Spaceflight mini-series and we're thrilled to bring you an awesome and informative conversation with Maj Danielle Anderson and Christi Keeler, MS, ATC!
Maj Anderson is making history being the first active-duty service member to be assigned to NASA. Maj Anderson and her teammate Christi are part of the integrative dream team at NASA Johnson Space Center working daily in astronaut human performance care. We pick their brains about both their roles in the Spaceflight HPO program and break down what exactly it is they do day to day. And spoiler, it's even cooler than you think! In this episode we get into some basics about spaceflight standards, the innovation that comes with being part of the human performance team for astronauts and how rewarding the job truly is. But we don't stop there, we cover an eclectic variety of burning questions:
- What length of time is required to be considered long duration Spaceflight?
- How do you rehab someone in space?
- What type of rehab equipment is available in space?
- What are the go-to exercises that astronauts have to do daily to maintain health?
- Mobility.... in space? Why or why not?
Come wrap up our mini-series with us and get all the questions you've had since being a little kid about space answered! We can't wait to have them back in the future!
Talk to ya later!
Guest Bios:
Major Danielle Anderson is a Physical Therapist currently assigned to Johnson Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration as the Musculoskeletal Medicine and Rehabilitation Lead. She delivers a spectrum of neuromusculoskeletal care preparing and supporting both U.S and International Astronauts for long duration space flight aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Additionally, she provides consultation and management recommendations to Crew and Deputy Crew Flight Surgeons working neuromusculoskeletal conditions on board the ISS. She serves as the Air Force’s liaison to the Military Musculoskeletal residency, a tri-service one-year Physical Therapy residency, where she oversees admittance, regional instruction, and successful program completion of Air Force, Army and Navy Physical Therapists. Major Anderson received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Regis University and direct Air Force commission in 2012. During her first assignment to Travis Air Force Base, she deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She provided musculoskeletal care for Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan and NATO partners, earning her the United States Air Force Biomedical Service Corps and Military Health Systems Junior Clinician of the Year. In addition, she served as the sole physical therapist while deployed with Navy Special Warfare Unit Three in Bahrain, supporting the training and assistance to the special operations forces of the Nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council. She has instructed numerous Air Force Physical Therapy courses and currently serves as an Assistant Professor to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Army-Baylor University, Joint Based San Antonio (JBSA), Tx. Lastly, she is published in Military Medicine and the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy and has presented in over ten National Physical Therapy conferences. Prior to her current position, Major Anderson was the Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Flight Commander at 59th Surgical Operations Squadron, JBSA-Lackland, Tx., where she led 72 members among six elements across two sites, providing 77k specialty visits and ove
If you like what you hear, leave us a 5- star rating and subscribe! Find us on IG and LinkedIn @ Not Your Typical Doctors or reach out to us anytime through: [email protected]
Building Spaceflight: NASA Human Performance Optimization with Maj Danielle Anderson & Christi Keeler, MS, ATC
It's the second week of our Spaceflight mini-series and we're thrilled to bring you an awesome and informative conversation with Maj Danielle Anderson and Christi Keeler, MS, ATC!
Maj Anderson is making history being the first active-duty service member to be assigned to NASA. Maj Anderson and her teammate Christi are part of the integrative dream team at NASA Johnson Space Center working daily in astronaut human performance care. We pick their brains about both their roles in the Spaceflight HPO program and break down what exactly it is they do day to day. And spoiler, it's even cooler than you think! In this episode we get into some basics about spaceflight standards, the innovation that comes with being part of the human performance team for astronauts and how rewarding the job truly is. But we don't stop there, we cover an eclectic variety of burning questions:
- What length of time is required to be considered long duration Spaceflight?
- How do you rehab someone in space?
- What type of rehab equipment is available in space?
- What are the go-to exercises that astronauts have to do daily to maintain health?
- Mobility.... in space? Why or why not?
Come wrap up our mini-series with us and get all the questions you've had since being a little kid about space answered! We can't wait to have them back in the future!
Talk to ya later!
Guest Bios:
Major Danielle Anderson is a Physical Therapist currently assigned to Johnson Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration as the Musculoskeletal Medicine and Rehabilitation Lead. She delivers a spectrum of neuromusculoskeletal care preparing and supporting both U.S and International Astronauts for long duration space flight aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Additionally, she provides consultation and management recommendations to Crew and Deputy Crew Flight Surgeons working neuromusculoskeletal conditions on board the ISS. She serves as the Air Force’s liaison to the Military Musculoskeletal residency, a tri-service one-year Physical Therapy residency, where she oversees admittance, regional instruction, and successful program completion of Air Force, Army and Navy Physical Therapists. Major Anderson received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Regis University and direct Air Force commission in 2012. During her first assignment to Travis Air Force Base, she deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She provided musculoskeletal care for Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan and NATO partners, earning her the United States Air Force Biomedical Service Corps and Military Health Systems Junior Clinician of the Year. In addition, she served as the sole physical therapist while deployed with Navy Special Warfare Unit Three in Bahrain, supporting the training and assistance to the special operations forces of the Nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council. She has instructed numerous Air Force Physical Therapy courses and currently serves as an Assistant Professor to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Army-Baylor University, Joint Based San Antonio (JBSA), Tx. Lastly, she is published in Military Medicine and the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy and has presented in over ten National Physical Therapy conferences. Prior to her current position, Major Anderson was the Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Flight Commander at 59th Surgical Operations Squadron, JBSA-Lackland, Tx., where she led 72 members among six elements across two sites, providing 77k specialty visits and ove
If you like what you hear, leave us a 5- star rating and subscribe! Find us on IG and LinkedIn @ Not Your Typical Doctors or reach out to us anytime through: [email protected]
Previous Episode

Putting the "Lift" in Spaceflight: Spaceflight Human Performance Optimization with Corey Twine, CSCS
Putting the "Lift" in Spaceflight: Spaceflight Human Performance Optimization with Corey Twine, CSCS
Welcome to the first episode of our 2-part mini-series focusing on all things Human Performance and SPACEFLIGHT!
We're thrilled to announce our first guest in the series, Johnson's Space Center's very own Corey Twine, CSCS! We get all your curiosities answered on what strength and conditioning looks like in the unique niche of astronaut care. Some of the great things you'll hear in this episode:
- What the length of time for reconditioning looks like when returning from space travel and why it is important.
- What one of the main physiological issues is when returning to earth, and we'll give you a hint, it has nothing to do with muscular strength!
- What exactly the type of population is.
- How soon do astronauts have until they undergo fitness assessments status post space flight?
- How the body's normal "smart" adaptations can actually have a negative effect when it comes to Space Flight.
- How long are astronauts required to exercise in space to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
- What does mental health care look like for astronauts?
Enjoy this fascinating episode that answers all your curiosities, even if you didn't realize you had them! If any of this gets your Spidey senses going like it did for us and you're in the HPO realm, check out Corey's summit he is co-hosting:
Spaceflight Human Optimization and Performance Summit (SHOP-23): April 27-29, 2023 @ UHCL Health and Human Performance Institute
Link to event: https://www.uhcl.edu/hhpi/shop-23
Guest Bio:
Corey Twine is an Astronaut Strength, Conditioning and Rehabilitation (ASCR) Specialist at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) for KBR's Government Solutions U.S. Science and Space Business Unit. Prior to this role, Mr. Twine served as a strength and conditioning coach for the Army Special Forces as a part of the Preservation of the Force and Family contract at KBR. He also supported astronauts during the shuttle era, acting as the primary ASCR for several shuttle missions, including STS 114 "Return to Flight" in 2005. Since returning to KBR in 2018, Mr. Twine has worked extensively on projects spanning the design and implementation of mission-specific strength and conditioning programs for individuals in obscure environments.
Over his career, Mr. Twine held various conditioning coach positions within power 5 universities at The University of Michigan, West Virginia University, Michigan State and Penn State. He also spent various seasons in support of major and minor league sports training camps and clinics, including for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Commanders.
If you like what you hear, leave us a 5- star rating and subscribe! Find us on IG and LinkedIn @ Not Your Typical Doctors or reach out to us anytime through: [email protected]
Next Episode

The Chicken or the Egg? - Dopamine and Human Performance
The Chicken or the Egg? - Dopamine and Human Performance
We're rolling into a new week and that means....a brand-new episode!! This week Alyse and I are discussing one of my personal favorite neurotransmitters... DOPAMINE! We discuss our professional experiences within tactical and HPO settings with dopamine as a whole but also get into what happens when you are unable to maintain balance. This is a great informational epsiode covering:
- What dopamine deficiency is and it's symtpoms.
- It's roll in someone being in "flow state".
- Dopamine's role in performance.
- What happens to dopamine when we have an MSK related injury?
- ADHD?
- Tips for balancing our natural dopamine including dopamine fasting.
Come learn how to increase your happiness and get your nerd on with us!
Talk to ya later!
Tools to Manage Dopamine and Improve Motivation & Drive - Huberman Lab
If you like what you hear, leave us a 5- star rating and subscribe! Find us on IG and LinkedIn @ Not Your Typical Doctors or reach out to us anytime through: [email protected]
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/not-your-typical-doctors-297379/building-spaceflight-nasa-human-performance-optimization-with-maj-dani-39626408"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to building spaceflight: nasa human performance optimization with maj danielle anderson & christi keeler, ms, atc on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy