A Ph.D. student in Bioengineering at Rice University and an aspiring astronaut proudly hailing from Houston, Texas, Amanda Galloway focuses her career on innovating low-cost biomedical imaging technologies and optical spectroscopy systems to advance bioastronautics and space medicine.

Serving as Crew Commander and Chief Communications Officer for Southeast Analog’s upcoming 2026 mission, Amanda leads operational training in extreme environments while bridging her engineering background with medical science expertise for space exploration. Outside of her research, she is driven by a deep appreciation for the perspective space provides, reminding us that humanity is part of something much larger than ourselves. When off-duty, Amanda enjoys reading, spending time with her cats, and staying connected with the space exploration community (fun fact: she once sang Happy Birthday to NASA astronaut Scott Altman!).