Artemis II didn’t just push the boundaries of space exploration; it showed how bold missions inspire a generation to question, discover, and advance the human condition.
That same spirit drives medicine. Like space exploration, medical education and research demand curiosity, courage, teamwork, and an unwavering commitment to learning. Physicians training residents and medical students preparing for their future practice are engaged in their own form of exploration—testing limits, refining skills, and building knowledge that will shape and save lives.
At the Larner College of Medicine, students know this sense of awe well. Every lecture, clinical experience, and patient interaction is a step into the unknown, guided by science, mentorship, and a shared mission to improve human health—in Vermont, on Earth, and someday beyond it for one Larner alumna, Imelda Muller, M.D.’17.
National Astronaut Day is celebrated on May 5 to commemorate the first time an American—Alan Shepard—went to space. On this Astronaut Day, we celebrate three Larner students and alumni who continue to shoot for the stars, the moon, and beyond.
Meet Dev Saha – Class of 2029
Growing up near Houston’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC), Dev Saha ’29 long dreamed of space exploration. As a first-year medical student at Larner, he helped launch a new Space Medicine Student Interest Group (SIG), building on his experience as lead engineer on the Axiom Space Station, where he contributed to its passive thermal control system and served as an analog astronaut on an Earth-based mission.
Through his work with JSC and his premedical studies, Saha came to understand how astronauts in orbit and patients in remote or underserved areas face similar challenges—scarce resources, isolation, extreme environments, and limited access to care. Technologies like portable ultrasound have helped bridge these gaps, and Saha sees enormous potential for further innovation.
He was drawn to Larner after learning about the experience of Cliff Reilly, M.D.’24, who participated in a NASA Aerospace Medicine clerkship. When Saha arrived on the UVM campus, he found a community eager to support students pursuing unconventional paths. He soon connected with classmates Grace Chiodo and Patrick Payne, both of whose research has included stellar astrophysics, fluid dynamics, and galactic astronomy, and together they formed the Space Medicine SIG to explore the future of human spaceflight and its medical frontiers.
“I aspire to advance space medicine to push human exploration further than ever before while applying innovations from human spaceflight to improve health care on Earth.” — Dev Saha ’29
Meet Cliff Reilly, M.D.’24 – Dev Saha’s Inspiration
Cliff Reilly, M.D.’24, now in residency at Emory University, unknowingly inspired Dev Saha through a narrative that Dr. Reilly wrote for the Larner Blog about his NASA Aerospace Medicine Clerkship, which Reilly participated in during medical school. Since graduating in 2024, Reilly has stayed connected to aerospace medicine during his residency training in emergency medicine. He recently completed the Principles of Aviation and Space Medicine elective at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, a program similar to the NASA clerkship he completed while at Larner.
Reilly said that his NASA clerkship reshaped how he approaches challenges in health care, prompting him to question how systems and tools could be redesigned to improve care. He attributes his innovation-driven mindset to space medicine’s unique constraints, and this curiosity led him to join Emory’s medical innovation track; he is strongly considering pursuing aerospace medicine after residency.
“The ability to pursue the NASA clerkship as a medical student at UVM was just one of many opportunities that had a significant impact on me, and I’m not sure I would have been supported in the same way at another institution.” — Cliff Reilly, M.D.’24
All Shooting Stars Lead to Imelda Muller, M.D.’17
On September 22, 2025, NASA named Imelda Muller, M.D.’17, as one of 10 new astronaut candidates—selected from nearly 8,000 applicants. She is the first Larner alum to reach this milestone, and likely not the last.
Dr. Muller’s stellar path has been defined by relentless pursuit: earning her medical degree at Larner, completing a transitional year residency internship at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego before serving as an undersea medical officer in the U.S. Navy, and completing residency in anesthesia and critical care at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, where she also worked with the Human Spaceflight Lab. Her experience in extreme environments deepened her fascination with how the human body adapts under stress, ultimately guiding her toward space medicine.
When asked what she hopes her story inspires in future medical students or young scientists, she emphasized steady, determined effort. “Working hard every day at what you’re doing will get you there eventually,” she said. “As long as you’re working toward something you believe in, you’re going to realize whatever you set your sights on.”
“The future of space medicine is now, and I’m incredibly honored to be here with this team.” — Imelda Muller, M.D.’17