Selda S. Heavner
Education: MS Biomedical Engineering
Research Interests: Space Biology & Biomedicine • Human Spaceflight & Life Support • Mission Design & Instrumentation
Location: Mountain View, California, USA
Selda S. Heavner graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. She obtained her Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. She worked with the Functional Electrical Stimulation group to help paraplegic patients. After receiving her Master of Science degree, Selda worked at a medical device startup in San Francisco, California. She worked in Research and Development developing continuous blood glucose monitors that could be linked to insulin pumps. In 2003, she joined the University of California, Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory to build power systems and space instruments. She worked on several NASA missions such as THEMIS, STEREO, NuSTAR, Van Allen Probes, MAVEN, and ICON. She worked with NASA Ames Research Center Space Biosciences group as a Lead Design Engineer from January 2020 to July 2025 on CapiSorb Visible System building instruments for the International Space Station ECLSS (Environmental Control and Life Support Systems).