Meet Dr Shawna Pandya, the Scientist-astronaut Candidate Who Also Does Martial Arts

Dr Shawna Pandya was part of the first crew to test a commercial spacesuit in zero-gravity in 2015. She is a scientist-astronaut candidate with Project PoSSUM, physician, aquanaut, speaker, martial artist, advanced diver, skydiver, pilot-in-training, VP Immersive Medicine with Luxsonic Technologies and Fellow of the Explorers’ Club.

Dr Pandya dons many hats, she is a general physician who moved to space studies and has certifications in solo sky-diving, advance, open water, Nitrox and rescue diving. She is a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo as well. SheThePeople spoke to Dr Shawna Pandya about her journey as a woman in STEM, realising her dreams, developing a work ethic and why representation matters and we cannot become what we do not see or know.

You are a citizen-scientist astronaut candidate. You were part of the team that tested commercial spacesuit in microgravity. Tell us a bit about this experience.

With Project PoSSUM (Polar Suborbital Science of the Upper Mesosphere) and the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS), we work in small, tightly-knit teams in highly operational, fluid environments. Things can change very rapidly, so you always have to be prepared to adapt to an evolving situation. You need to trust your team, and also be able to communicate with them effectively. I have been incredibly lucky to work with some incredibly brilliant, talented teammates in some pretty tight spots, and we have grown quite close. I would consider some of my teammates family at this point, and we speak nearly every day.

Tell us a bit about yourself, what made you pursue multiple career options from medicine to space studies. As a woman in STEM did you face any gender bias.

I think one of the coolest parts about being an adult is realising that the dreams you had as a child can come to fruition in ways you never even dreamed possible! I grew up inspired by Dr Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman in space. She was a neuroscientist, physician and astronaut, and this is what inspired me to study neuroscience, then medicine. Today, I wear many hats within the space, medicine, and space medicine worlds as a physician, scientist-astronaut candidate, and leader for several space medicine initiatives, including serving as Director for the PoSSUM/IIAS Space Medicine Group. I think dealing with gender (and ethnic) bias is an ongoing and sometimes near-daily challenge, particularly in medicine, and my strategy has been to diplomatically, yet firmly and directly address inappropriate comments in the workplace to shut them down, and also say something if I see it happening to someone else.

You have said, "If you have a dream, work for it. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!" What was the one single thing that helped you fulfil your dreams?

Developing a work ethic costs nothing. It's not something that you are born with or not. It's something that we build up over time. I think that learning to work really hard, and strive to be the hardest working person in the room is a lesson that has served me well.

I think dealing with gender (and ethnic) bias is an ongoing and sometimes near-daily challenge, particularly in medicine, and my strategy has been to diplomatically, yet firmly

Why do you think it is important for young women to have women role models?

This lesson really hit home for me one night after I had given a keynote to a group of undergraduate women in STEM fields. One young lady of Southeast Asian origin made it a point to come to me after the talk, saying, "seeing someone like YOU up there makes ME realize that I can do this." Representation matters. We cannot become what we do not see or know.

You have spoken about failure, a feeling like you have reached the end of the world. Tell us a bit about this phase and why is it important for women, especially Southeast Asian women to talk about mental health.

There are two parts to this question. The first deals with failure. Every single one of us has failed at some point in our lives - it is how we deal with failure that dictates where we go next. Failure can be a beautiful teacher, if we let it, and there is a way to be hard on ourselves in a way that is productive versus destructive. When we are faced with suboptimal outcomes, we owe it to ourselves to debrief on that event, dissect the events that led to that undesired outcome, including our own actions, and come up with a plan to improve the next time we are faced with this scenario. The second part of this question is a critical one. What I notice in my clinical practice is that we still continue to stigmatise mental health, women's health and sexual health, particularly within the Southeast Asian community (amongst others). We need to work at a societal level to normalise discussing and addressing these aspects of health in order to help maintain overall good health.

Tell us a bit about growing up in the 1980s in Canada. How has it changed over the years?

I am a first-generation Canadian as the child of immigrant parents. My parents set off on an adventure themselves in the 1980s, packing all of their belongings in a few suitcases to move from India to arrive in Canada in the middle of a typical -30C Canadian winter! They sacrificed a lot by moving away from their own social support system, all in the name of seeking more opportunities for their future family, and they worked extraordinarily hard to create a new life for themselves. I saw that work ethic and internalised it, and I am extremely grateful for the lessons I have learned and the opportunities that I have had along the way.

What would you like to tell young women who want to study STEM subjects?

If you love STEM - go for it! Pick something you love - learn about it, read about it, get your hands in there! Now is your time; we have more platforms than ever to grant access to education, opportunities and experiences, whether we are talking about science groups, YouTube channels or programs focused on elevating women and under-represented groups.

You have certifications in solo sky-diving, advance, open water, Nitrox and rescue diving. Tell us what prompted the interest in these sports.

I have also been lucky enough to attain an Aquanaut designation during a 5-day underwater science mission! The common thread in all of these activities is that they are highly operational, highly fluid environments that are continually evolving, and test our real-time adaptability and decision-making. In many of these environments, we are also working in close-knit, highly skilled teams, all of which I love.

What I notice in my clinical practice is that we still continue to stigmatise mental health, women's health and sexual health, particularly within the Southeast Asian community (amongst others).

Tell us a bit about your love for martial arts.

Martial arts has been a part of my life for over two decades now. I am a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo and have competed at the national and international levels, and also trained and competed in Muay Thai as well. Martial arts is more than physical activity, it is a philosophy and a lifestyle. When you find the right Dojang, you find your family. The tenets that I have learned through Taekwondo - courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit - have been philosophies that have been incredibly powerful in shaping the person I am today.

Feature Image credit: Global Woman of Vision, Project PoSSUM