Biography – Dr. Laurel B. Clark ’83, MD’87

Biography: Dr. Laurel B. Clark ’83, MD’87

Name
Laurel Blair Salton Clark, M.D.
Commander, USN
NASA Astronaut

Personal data
Although she was born on March 10, 1961, in Ames, Iowa, Dr. Clark considers Racine, Wisconsin, to be her hometown. She is married to Jonathan B. Clark (Captain, USN) and they have one child. She enjoys scuba diving, hiking, camping, biking, parachuting, flying and traveling.

Education
1979 – Graduated from William Horlick High School, Racine, Wisconsin
1983 – Bachelor of Science in Zoology, College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin–Madison
1987 – Doctorate in Medicine, Medical School, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Organizations
Aerospace Medical Association Society of U.S. Naval Flight Surgeons

Awards
Navy Commendation Medals (3)
National Defense Medal
Overseas Service Ribbon

NASA experience
Dr. Clark was selected by NASA in April 1996 and reported to the Johnson Space Center in August of that year. After completing two years of training and evaluation, she was qualified for flight assignment as a mission specialist. From July 1997 to August 2000, Dr. Clark worked in the Astronaut Office Payloads/Habitability Branch. She will launch as part of the crew of STS-107 scheduled July 19, 2002.

Background experience
In 1987, while still in medical school, Dr. Clark underwent active duty training with the Diving Medicine Department at the Naval Experimental Diving Unit. She did postgraduate medical education in pediatrics at the naval hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, from 1987 to 1988. The following year, she completed navy undersea medical officer training at the Naval Undersea Medical Institute in Groton, Connecticut, and diving medical officer training at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City, Florida. She was designated a radiation health officer and undersea medical officer.

Dr. Clark was then assigned as the Submarine Squadron Fourteen Medical Department head in Holy Loch, Scotland. During that assignment, she dove with U.S. Navy divers and Naval Special Warfare Unit Two Seals, and performed numerous medical evacuations from U.S. submarines. After two years of operational experience, she was designated a naval submarine medical officer and diving medical officer.

She did six months of aeromedical training at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute in Pensacola, Florida. Stationed at Yuma, Arizona, she was named flight surgeon for a Marine Corps AV-8B Night Attack Harrier Squadron, which won a Marine Attack Squadron of the Year title. She has made numerous deployments, including one overseas to the western Pacific, and has practiced medicine in austere environments. Prior to her selection as an astronaut candidate, she served as a flight surgeon for the Naval Flight Officer Advanced Training Squadron in Pensacola, Florida.

Lieutenant Commander Clark is board certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and holds a Wisconsin medical license.