INTERVIEW with PAAVAN GORUR from INDIA/UK

(c) OeWF (Katja Zanella-Kux)

Team & Task(s)

Dr. Paavan Gorur was born in India and lives in the United Kingdom now. During the MARS2013 mission he is the doctor for the field crew in Morocco. His main role is to maintain the safety of the team. In addition, he is involved in the COMPSTRESS study taking place in the simulation.

Space & MARS2013

How did you first get in touch with the topic of space / astronomy / analog research?

I first became attracted to space medicine during my medical studies where I did an additional BSc in physiology looking at physiology in space and extreme environments. Last year, I pursued an MSc in Space Physiology and Health including a research project at the University of Graz, doing life science research.

When did you first hear about the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF)?

This was through my Research project supervisor at the University of Graz.

How did you learn about the “MARS2013” mission?

This was through my Research project supervisor at the University of Graz. He encouraged me to apply.

Why did you choose to participate?

My interest in space life science research is deep and I hope to forge a career in research I this area alongside my clinical duties. I feel that this experience will be brilliant at preparing me for this.

What was your first impression when you got involved with the OeWF team?    

Everyone was very professional and welcoming.

What is your personal goal in this mission?

My personal goal of this mission is to further immerse myself in the world of space life science. I hope to get to know like-minded people with different backgrounds all aiming to play a part in future manned space exploration. 

Work, Life & Family

What I do for a living:

I am a doctor working as an anaesthetist.

A typical day in my life looks like this:

An early start to the day with a strong cup of coffee! I get to the hospital at 7:30 and begin my anesthetic duties. This includes anaesthetizing patients for operations and dealing with medical emergencies in the hospital. Every day is different and unpredictable, which keeps things interesting and often far from typical!

This is how I spend my spare time:

I like to relax and spend time with my family. I am a huge movie fan and probably spend too much time (and money!) at the cinema. I enjoy reading biographies, inspiration can really be found in the stories of the famous!

Family status:

Married.

How my friends would describe me:

Enthusiastic, ambitious and caring.

Me, Myself & I

These things are precious to me:

Family, friends and my MacBook Pro!

What drives me crazy:

Laziness!

Something I would never do:

Swim the English Channel!

One important thing other people should know about me:

I am committed to both work and family.

To relax I absolutely need:

Music.

For this I would do almost anything:

To be able to meet the great Mahatma Gandhi and Neil Armstrong (sadly both have passed).

Something that once changed my life:

Getting married!

What is the most unusual / challenging / exciting / scary / funny thing you ever experienced?

I played the lead role in a show at university, which included singing to a crowd of more than 500 people. I am not a natural singer, believe me, but the crowd saw trough that and enjoyed the humour in my performance. I would say that this was a scary and also funny experience!

Goal(s) & Motto 

Something I would love to learn or achieve:

I would love to learn how to fly a plane.

My Motto / A saying I can identify with:

“Each of us must be the change we want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

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