ABSTRACT
Richard L. Summers, MD is a professor of emergency medicine and an assistant professor of physiology and biophysics at the University of Mississippi Medical School, where he serves as director of emergency medicine research. He received his MD degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1981. After clinical training in internal medicine from 1981−1982 at the University of Mississippi Medical Center he entered advanced doctoral graduate studies in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics under the tutelage of Dr. Arthur C. Guyton. In 1989 he joined the faculty of the University of Mississippi Medical Center and became an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. After becoming board certified in emergency medicine in 1993 he switched his emphasis to his present clinical position. Through his collaborations with NASA, he has investigated the mechanisms of physiologic adaptations to microgravity. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, Dr. Summers currently oversees the development of the NASA Digital Astronaut Project.
