Raquel C. Galvan-Garza
Papers
2
Total Citations
11
H-Index
2
About
Raquel C. Galvan-Garza is a leading researcher in aerospace human factors, specializing in the cognitive and physiological challenges of spaceflight operations. Her work focuses on mitigating human performance decrements caused by sleep loss, circadian disruption, and cognitive overload during high-stakes tasks like space teleoperation and robotics. Galvan-Garza’s major contributions center on evaluating safe, non-pharmacological countermeasures—specifically caffeine and blue-enriched light—to sustain alertness and spare visual attention in astronauts. Her 2023 paper on caffeine and blue light’s effectiveness in a spaceflight robotics simulation (6 citations) demonstrated measurable improvements in cognitive performance and EEG correlates of alertness, while her companion study on spare visual attention (5 citations) showed these interventions help operators maintain situational awareness during complex bimanual tasks. Though her citation counts are early-stage, her work addresses a critical NASA priority: preventing catastrophic errors during human-robotic interactions on the International Space Station. Galvan-Garza’s research bridges sleep science, neuroergonomics, and applied aerospace engineering, offering practical countermeasures for high-stress environments. Her findings have direct implications for future long-duration missions, where crew autonomy and cognitive resilience are paramount.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 2