AMAZING TEAM

Prof. mult. Dr.med. Dr.rer.nat. Oliver Ullrich

Chairman

Oliver is Full Professor and Director of the Innovation Cluster Space and Aviation of the University of Zurich (UZH Space Hub), specialized in Anatomy, Cell Biology, Immunology and Aerospace Medicine. He is also Professor of Space Medicine (EAH Jena, Germany), Professor of Space Biotechnology (University of Magdeburg, Germany), BIT Adjunct Professor (Beijing Institute of Technology, BIT, China), elected Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics, President of the German Society for Aerospace Medicine, President of the Swiss SkyLab Foundation and initiator and leader of the Swiss Parabolic Flight program. He is recipient of several national and international research and teaching awards and has 18 years of experience as scientific leader of parabolic flight, suborbital ballistic rocket and International Space Station (ISS) missions in the ESA and NASA Space Life Sciences research program. He has a post-graduate diploma in Theology from the Pontifical Lateran University (Rome/Vatican). He is enthusiastically committed to innovation in space, actively supports entrepreneurship and public-private partnerships and is co-founder of four successful start-up companies. Oliver’s accumulated mission experience is 17 parabolic flight missions, 9 suborbital missions and 9 orbital missions. Oliver has flown more than 1200 parabolas and was more than 7 hours in microgravity in total.

Natalie Dové

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Natalie was born in New Orleans/USA and grew up in the USA,
Hong Kong, Germany and Australia. She is a certified travel specialist and is working in the travel industry for more than 30 years, mostly at executive level positions. She is owner and CEO of the independent travel agency Nussbaumer Reisen AG and the space travel agency Dovespace GmbH in Burgdorf / Bern, member of IATA. She is executive board member of the “Schweizer Reise-Verband (SRV)” and speaks English, German, Danish, Spanish and French. She is enthusiastically active at the interface and synergies between science and tourism, as both are based on the human nature of curiosity and the spirit of discovery. Natalie has so far given more than 300 people the extra-terrestrial experience of microgravirty as an „astronaut for one day“ on parabolic flights. Together with Oliver, she co-invented the Swiss Parabolic Flight Program, and has flown more than 120 parabolas so far.

Dr.rer.nat. Cora S. Thiel  

CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER

Cora is Chief Scientist for Gravitational Biology at UZH Space Hub, specialized in Cell and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Immunology and Gravitational Biology. She is elected Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics, Member of Board of the Swiss SkyLab Foundation, Member of Board of the German Society for Aerospace Medicine (DGLRM), member of advisory boards for aerospace agencies and companies and recipient of several research awards. She is an active investigator for the ESA and NASA Space Life Sciences research program, with 17 years of experience as scientific co-leader of parabolic flight, suborbital ballistic rocket and International Space Station (ISS) missions. Cora was the project leader of the UZH-Airbus project “3D Organoids in Space”. Cora’s accumulated mission experience is 17 parabolic flight missions, 6 suborbital missions and 7 orbital missions. Cora has flown more than 900 parabolas and was more than 5 hours in microgravity in total.

Dr.phil. Calista Fischer

CHIEF Communication OFFICER

Calista studied archaeology, German language and literature, and religious studies at the University of Zurich, earning a PhD in archaeology. She has completed voluntary military service, has a diploma in commerce, a CAS in science communication, worked for the Office Suisse d’Expansion Commerciale (OSEC) and in a senior position in the Cantonal Archaeology of Zurich with experience in field missions. She has many years of experience in the Swiss nuclear industry and as a communication officer for the Science Faculty of the University of Zurich. Currently, Calista is head of special missions and chief communication officer of the Innovation Cluster Space and Aviation of the University of Zurich (UZH Space Hub).