Ramona Gaza, Ph.D.
Scientist
ramona.gaza-1@nasa.gov

Dr. Ramona Gaza is a USRA Scientist with the Division of Space Life Sciences at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), working on passive radiation measurements for operational support of the International Space Station (ISS) and Space Shuttle Programs.

Dr.Gaza graduated with a B.S. in Physics from the Western University of Timisoara , Romania in 1997. She completed her graduate work and acquired her Ph.D. in Physics from Oklahoma State University , with her doctorate focusing on Space Radiation Dosimetry, in particular investigating the Al2O3:C material as a potential optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) radiation detector for space radiation dosimetry applications.

Dr. Gaza  is currently part of the Space Radiation Analysis Group (SRAG) at NASA JSC and her work involves (i) Performing operational radiation dosimetry for astronauts (i.e., pre-flight preparation of radiation hardware for each Shuttle/ISS mission to ensure compliance with JSC flight policies, post-flight radiation measurements, dosimetry data analysis and scientific input for the interpretation of results); (ii) Implementing the OSL method as a viable radiation dosimetry technique in Low-Earth Orbit; (iii) Characterizing the linear energy transfer (LET) response of luminescence detectors (i.e., Al2O3:C, LiF:Mg,Ti, CaF2:Tm ) over a wide range of LET as expected in the space environment.

As Manager of the Space Radiation Dosimeter Laboratory at SRAG, Dr. Gaza is, among other duties, responsible for organizing, coordinating and overseeing the overall operation of the Space Radiation Dosimetry Laboratory activities concerned with routine radiation monitoring for both crew and vehicle during Space Shuttle missions and ISS Expeditions.

Dr. Gaza is currently participating to international research collaborations such as (i) MATROSHKA Project  to measure the depth dose (at different organs) and the skin dose using a simulated anthropomorphic phantom, outside and inside ISS (2004-present), in collaboration with German Aerospace Agency ( DLR), among other 15 institutes; (ii) BRADOS Experiment  to measure the radiation inside the ISS Service Module (2003 – present), in collaboration with national and international institutes including the Russian Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP); (iii) DOSIS Project to provide radiation measurements at different shielding configurations inside the ESA Columbus Module on ISS (to start in 2009), in collaboration with German Aerospace Agency ( DLR).

Abbreviated list of Dr.Gaza’s publications