Team CLOT-LESS · UBC · CAN-RGX 2025–26
Capturing clot dissolution in microgravity.
At the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, our accepted oral presentation shares how we paired high-resolution slow-motion imaging with pressure sensing to observe and quantify tenecteplase-mediated clot breakdown during reduced-gravity flight.
The accepted presentation
Thrombolytic pharmacodynamics in microgravity: implications for autonomous medical care in deep space.
The study asks how a clot-dissolving medication behaves when gravity changes. Pressure measurements track the breakdown process; high-resolution video captures it in slow motion. Together, these methods let us examine the same experiment from two complementary angles. Across two flight days, we recorded 11 parabolas and completed 10 paired experimental runs.
IAC 2026 · ANTALYA
Preliminary findings
Early pressure results
Across three clot pairs, measured pressure resistance fell 17–41% over repeat tenecteplase infusions, compared with 2–12% with saline controls. The change was in the same direction in all three pairs, but this preliminary result was not statistically significant (sign test p ≈ 0.13).
Only three clot pairs were tested, and the clots were not size-matched. Pressure changes cannot yet distinguish fibrinolysis from mechanical erosion. The 1 g comparison is based on one run.
Wider-range sensors could capture the initial pressure spike in fresh clots. D-dimer sampling could measure fibrin breakdown, and glass channels could improve clot adhesion to the walls.
My contribution
Imaging, flight operations, and the story behind the data.
I co-led the research effort, developed the imaging module and data-collection software, and flew as a Mission Specialist during the September 2026 flight campaign.