Theodoros Pavlidis on Nutritional Countermeasures to Spaceflight Studied at URI – The National Herald

Working in assistant professor Marie Mortreux’s Metabolism and Muscle Biology Lab, Theodoros Pavlidis extracts proteins from muscle samples. Photo: URI/Catherine Scott
KINGSTON, RI – As humans spend longer periods of time in outer space and venture further from Earth, it’s increasingly important for scientists to learn how varied gravity levels affect muscle function and muscle loss, and how those effects can be counteracted or minimized.
Theodoros Pavlidis, a second-year doctoral student who is pursuing a PhD in health sciences with a specialization in nutrition at the University of Rhode Island (URI), is seeking solutions to these challenges by studying compounds in foods.
“My research examines nutritional countermeasures that may help protect human health during spaceflight, with my current work focusing on resveratrol, a compound found in grapes and other plants,” said Pavlidis, who is from Nicosia, Cyprus. “I’m investigating whether resveratrol can reduce muscle loss, preserve muscle function, and mitigate metabolic dysfunction associated with altered gravity. The long-term goal is to help make human spaceflight safer.”
Resveratrol is a naturally occurring polyphenol that is best known as a component of grape skins. It has been studied for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also found in peanuts, blueberries, cranberries, mulberries, and cocoa.
University of Rhode Island PhD student Theodoros Pavlidis observes the force produced by an animal model following leg contractions using an Aurora Scientific system. Photo: URI/Catherine Scott
Pavlidis first learned about resveratrol while working on his thesis for his master’s degree in clinical dietetics at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus.
“During my master’s studies, I investigated nutrition-based interventions for mitigating DNA damage induced from space radiation,” said Pavlidis. “That experience deepened my interest in space health and motivated me to continue working in the field.”
Pavlidis presented his master’s research at the scientific assembly of the Committee on Space Research in Florence, Italy, in August.
While searching for a PhD program that matched his research interests, Pavlidis discovered the work of Marie Mortreux, an assistant professor in the URI College of Health Sciences’ Department of Nutrition.
“Her research closely aligned with my interests and offered me the opportunity to build upon my previous work at a doctoral level,” said Pavlidis. “After speaking with her, I knew URI was the right fit.”
Mortreux leads URI’s Metabolism and Muscle Biology Lab. Her research includes working with an international team involved in analyzing how the skeletal muscles of 24 mice would react to four different levels of gravity, including that of Mars.
Pavlidis is also working with animal models but is focused on lunar gravity.
Theodoros Pavlidis performs a bicinchoninic acid assay to measure protein concentration. Photo: URI/Catherine Scott
“Theo is using a partial weight bearing device I created, and hindlimb suspension, that helps simulate the effects of microgravity and partial gravity in rodents,” said Mortreux, who is Pavlidis’ Ph.D. advisor.
The research will also compare how male and female mice react to the tests.
“Males and females respond very differently to spaceflight, so it’s possible that this nutritional countermeasure will not have the same impact and effect on both,” said Mortreux. “We want to make sure to provide tailored measures to keep all astronauts healthy.”
Earlier this year, Pavlidis entered NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge: Mars to Table, which required teams to submit concepts for food systems that could be used on the surface of Mars and the moon.
“I served as a nutrition specialist on my team,” said Pavlidis. “My role focused on developing nutritious, appealing meal plans and evaluating how nutrition could help address health challenges associated with future Mars missions.”
When the winning teams were announced in September, Pavlidis’ team was recognized as the international winner for the project, “Astrofood from Ellezelles, Belgium with Food Resilience Ecosystem for Space Habitats (FRESH).”
Pavlidis expects to complete his PhD within the next three years. Once he graduates, he hopes to establish a career in which he can research how nutrition can help maintain health and performance during long-duration space missions.
When asked how his Cypriot heritage influences his work, Pavlidis told The National Herald: “Coming from Cyprus gives me a strong sense of connection to home as I pursue research internationally. I hope my journey encourages students back home, in Greece, and beyond to pursue interests that may initially seem unconventional. Combining nutrition and space once felt like an unusual path, but it has become the focus of my research. That experience has taught me that even when others may not immediately see an idea’s potential, a question that matters to you is worth pursuing.”
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