Igor B. Mekjavic

Professor Igor B. Mekjavic: is a Scientific Counsellor, and heads the Biocybernetics Laboratory at the Jozef Stefan Institute. During his 15 year tenure at Simon Fraser University in Canada, he held the posts of: Director, Environmental Physiology Unit; Director, School of Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University; Chairman, Graduate Programme, School of Kinesiology. The main focus of his basic research projects has been the effect of non-thermal factors on human temperature regulation. In addition, he is a co-investigator on joint projects with Prof. Eiken investigating the influence of gravitational loading (microgravity and hypergravity) on cardiovascular and thermoregulatory function. In 2001, Profs. Mekjavic and Eiken initiated the bed rest research programme in the Orthopaedic Hospital Valdoltra (Ankaran). Prof. Mekjavic also participates in clinical research projects investigating the etiology of non-freezing cold injury and the potential benefit of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of freezing cold injury. He is a member of the European Space Agency’s Bed rest Steering Committee. In addition to editing several monographs (ie. Environmental Ergonomics published by Taylor and Francis) and undergraduate textbooks (ie. Introduction to Kinesiology, published by Blackwell Scientific), Prof. Mekjavic has over 300 research publications: international peer reviewed journals (>100), reports, conference contributions etc. Prof. Mekjavic is a member of the European Space Agency Bed Rest Steering Committee (since 2007), and a member of the ESA Topical Team on Lunar Habitat Simulations (established in 2009).