ASTRONAUT DAVE WILLIAMS TO LEAD SPACE & LIFE SCIENCES EFFORT



July 31, 1998



Ann Hutchison
Johnson Space Center, Texas
(281/483-5111)

<h4>Release: J98-33</h4> <h3>Astronaut Dave Williams To Lead Space & 
Life Sciences Effort</h3> 

Astronaut Dafydd "Dave" Rhys Williams, M.D., of the Canadian Space 
Agency, has been named Director of the Space and Life Sciences 
Directorate at the Johnson Space Center.



Williams, an experienced astronaut and specialist in emergency 
medicine, has a master&rsquo;s degree in physiology and a doctorate 
in medicine from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He was 
selected as an astronaut by the Canadian Space Agency in June 1992 
and held a variety of positions there before being named to 
NASA&rsquo;s astronaut class of 1995.



"Dr. Williams&rsquo; clinical experience as a physician, combined with 
his operational knowledge of space flight, provides him with unique 
insight into the work we do here," said George W. S. Abbey, Director 
of the Johnson Space Center. "I am very pleased with his assignment 
to this important role."



Williams flew as a crewmember on the 16-day STS-90 Neurolab mission 
earlier this year, serving as an experiment operator and subject for 
more than 26 separate life sciences investigations focusing on how 
the nervous system adapts to microgravity. He remains on active 
flight status, eligible for future Shuttle assignments.



For additional information about Williams, or any astronaut, see the 
NASA Internet biography home page at URL: 
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/

	
-end-