Dr Zoe Swann

Dr Zoe Swann is a cognitive neurolinguist and Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Leverhulme Centre for Humanity and Space. Her research "VITALS" (Voice Indicators of Trust, Adaptation, and Cognitive Load in Spaceflight) sits at the intersection of neuroscience, linguistics, and human factors to validate the voice as a non-invasive and sensitive indicator of astronaut health and wellbeing during long-duration spaceflight. During Dr Swann's PhD in Neuroscience from Arizona State University, she invented a non-invasive, tele-enabled medical device and app to treat severe post-stroke speech loss, and validated it in participants across the United States. Following this, she worked to improve access to care for women, rural populations, and historically underserved groups across indications including stroke, traumatic brain injury, COPD, and coronary microvascular disease. Dr Swann's passion for aerospace medicine research developed from its shared voice markers and pathophysiology with stroke or brain injury. During the pandemic, she researched the neurological effects of long-duration spaceflight in astronauts who experience altered neural function due to microgravity with Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins University Aerospace Medicine. Alongside her research, Dr Swann is committed to improving research culture and wellbeing in academia. She is an awardee of the I-REACCH (Inclusive Research Environment Achieved through Culture Change) award at the University of Leicester, and her "Joy in Research" initiative aims to make research more inclusive by making it more joyful and playful, supporting diverse research communities.