Dr. Judith Hayes

Judith Hayes is a senior NASA executive with more than three decades of experience advancing astronaut health and performance. She serves as NASA chief science officer for the Human Health and Performance Directorate, where she leads science strategy, partnerships and policy. Judith has directed interdisciplinary teams for biomedical research and space medicine projects supporting Space Shuttle, NASA-Mir, International Space Station and Artemis initiatives. She led major efforts such as establishing the NASA Human Health and Performance Laboratory and expanding NASA research at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from West Virginia University in exercise physiology, a master’s in public health from the University of Texas School of Public Health and a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from Our Lady of the Lake University.