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Research Operations
& Integration

The Research Operations and Integration (ROI) element provides planning, integration, and implementation services for research tasks by NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP).

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Meet the ROI Team

Element leaders integrate and implement human research studies in space and on the ground, develop experiment flight hardware, and manage element resources to efficiently and effectively meet HRP objectives. Across HRP, all leadership teams work hand-in-hand to ensure that research proposed by the other HRP elements is implemented using the best method possible while maintaining the health of crew members.

Meet the leadership team for HRP’s ROI element.

ROI Leadership

Kelle Pido

Kelle Pido, Element Manager

Pido sets strategic requirements for flight and analog research platforms and manages human research study resources. 

Nichole Schwanbeck

Nichole Schwanbeck, Deputy Element Manager, Flights

Schwanbeck manages the team that implements studies for NASA’s HRP that fly on the International Space Station and other space-based platforms.

Renita Saikia Fincke, Deputy Element Manager, Ground Analogs

Fincke oversees a team that carries out Earth-based HRP studies simulating life in space.

Brandon Vessey

Brandon Vessey, Element Scientist

Vessey provides scientific oversight for spaceflight and ground-based analog studies conducted by NASA’s HRP. His research focuses on the dynamics of teamwork over long durations, team leadership, and collective leadership in mission scenarios.

Cherie Oubre

Cherie Oubre, Deputy Element Scientist, Flights

Oubre oversees human research activities conducted before, during, and after spaceflight, working with NASA teams and international partners to integrate and collect science data.

Sara Whiting, Deputy Element Scientist, Ground Analogs

Whiting provides scientific planning and oversight for ground-based spaceflight analog studies conducted by HRP. These studies include the Human Exploration Research Analog, as well as research involving head-down tilt bed rest, Antarctic, and parabolic flight platforms.