Samantha Jones

• Postdoctoral Research Associate in Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool

Dr Samantha Jones is a prominent space biologist and Research Project Manager at the University of Liverpool's Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences (ILCaMS). Her pioneering work operates at the intersection of musculoskeletal physiology, cellular ageing, and microgravity research.

Dr Jones is best known as the lead coordinator and project manager for the high-profile, UK Space Agency-funded MicroAge and MicroAge II national missions to the International Space Station (ISS). In this role, she successfully bridged the gap between academic science and aerospace engineering. She spearheaded the complex hardware validation and logistics required to keep living human muscle cells viable under extreme launch forces and strict NASA and European Space Agency safety standards. Her research utilises the weightless environment of low Earth orbit as a model to accelerate and study the mechanisms of musculoskeletal ageing and sarcopenia.

Beyond space biology, Dr Jones is an expert in skeletal muscle micro-tissue engineering and redox signalling. Her laboratory work focuses on the role of free radicals, antioxidants, and reactive oxygen species in driving age-related muscle deterioration. Her contributions to the field have earned widespread recognition, including prestigious accolades from the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine.

Dr Jones also lends her extensive expertise in life science payloads and mission operations to national space policy, serving as a member of the UK Space Agency's Space Exploration Advisory Committee (SEAC).

• –present Postdoctoral Research Associate in Musculoskeletal & Ageing Science, Institute of Life Course & Medical Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool

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