Astronaut candidate's profile
The candidates participating in the astronaut selection process all have unique journeys and outstanding qualities and skills. You can read their remarkable profiles here.
Lee, Peter H.U.
Where were you born?
Germany
Where do you currently live?
Dublin, Ohio, USA
Education
- Bachelor's, neuroscience – Brown University
- Doctorate, medicine – Brown University
- Master's, public health – Harvard University
- Master's, space studies – International Space University
- Ph.D., pathobiology – Brown University
Photo of the astronaut candidate during the aptitude tests. (Credit: Canadian Space Agency)
What is your current job?
Assistant professor of surgery, cardiothoracic surgeon and research scientist - I advise, teach, and mentor students and surgical residents at the Medical School. I teach about surgical diseases, how to do scientific research, and how to operate on the heart and lungs. I also operate on patients with heart and lung diseases and perform surgeries such as heart bypass, heart transplantation, lung transplantation, and implantation of heart pumps. Finally, I run my own scientific laboratory, doing research in tissue engineering, gene therapy, and stem cells. I have also had several experiments fly in space aboard the Space Shuttle and now the International Space Station.
Why do you want to become an astronaut?
I have wanted to become an astronaut ever since I was a small boy. I am not only fascinated by the wonders and mysteries of space, but I am also an explorer and curious by nature. It is my desire to be a part of something much greater than I am and to contribute to the exploration and expansion of space. In addition to what I could do in space as an astronaut, I also want to be an ambassador to the world for the space program and my country, encouraging innovation, imagination, and critical thinking, especially among the youth.