SOAR Lab

SOAR Lab

Space, Operational & Aviation Research Laboratory

Spaceflight Deconditioning, Aviation Health, and Medical Education in Aerospace Medicine

Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University

About

The lab is based in the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University. We currently focus on:

  • Spaceflight Deconditioning Countermeasures
  • Passenger Health and Fitness-to-fly
  • Medical Education in Aerospace Medicine

Research

  1. Aviation medicine & fitness to fly

    Pre-flight assessment of patients with cardiorespiratory disease, including a Hypoxic Challenge Test (HCT) referral service at Srinagarind Hospital.

  2. Spaceflight deconditioning countermeasures

    Blood flow restriction (BFR), neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as countermeasures to microgravity-induced muscle and cardiovascular deconditioning, using head-down tilt as a ground-based analogue.

  3. Aerospace medicine education

    Whether and how aerospace medicine belongs in the Thai undergraduate medical curriculum, starting with medical students’ interest, exposure and perceived barriers.

Clinical services

  • Fitness-to-fly assessment and Hypoxic Challenge Test (HCT) referral service, Srinagarind Hospital.
  • Fitness-to-fly assessment for commercial astronauts/spaceflight participants (please refer to your spaceflight operator)

People

Portrait of Dr Panus Choocheepwattana

Dr Panus Choocheepwattana, MD, DAvMed, MSc, ARAeS

Lab Lead

Physician scientist in the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, with a subspecialty in aerospace and aviation medicine. His work spans altitude and hypoxia physiology, fitness-to-fly assessment, spaceflight deconditioning countermeasures, and aerospace medicine education. He teaches physiology across the medical, dental, nursing, physical therapy and radiologic technology programmes.

ORCID: 0000-0002-3266-5758

Collaborators and students

  • Dr Piyapat Jameekornkul

    External Collaborator

    Division of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep, Thailand

  • Dr Tipthanan Chotipinit

    Internal Collaborator

    Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand

  • Nattarit Pongkunakorn

    Medical Student

    Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand

  • Sukpawat Muengsombat

    Medical Student

    Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand

Publications & presentations

  1. Choocheepwattana P, Manimmanakorn A, Chumpangern W, Chantha D, Pakdeechote P, Jameekornkul P. Establishing a fitness-to-fly service and hypoxic challenge test at Srinagarind Hospital: a multidisciplinary approach [abstract 60]. Oral presentation at: 3rd International Congress of Aerospace Medicine (ICAM 2026); 2026 Oct 1-3; Istanbul, Türkiye.
  2. Pongkunakorn N, Jameekornkul P, Chotipinit T, Choocheepwattana P. Blood flow restriction and neuromuscular electrical stimulation as countermeasures to spaceflight-induced musculoskeletal deconditioning: a comparative review [abstract 245]. Oral presentation at: 3rd International Congress of Aerospace Medicine (ICAM 2026); 2026 Oct 1-3; Istanbul, Türkiye.

Join us

We welcome medical students, residents and graduate students interested in aerospace physiology and aviation medicine — for research electives or summer projects. Email a short CV and a paragraph on what you would like to work on.

Email panuch@kku.ac.th

Contact

Email
panuch@kku.ac.th
Address
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine
Khon Kaen University
123 Mittraphap Road, Mueang Khon Kaen
Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand