Laurel Blair Salton Clark, MD (Commander, USN)
Mission Specialist
Personal Data: Born in Iowa, but
considers Racine, Wisconsin, to be her hometown. Married with one
child. She enjoys scuba diving, hiking, camping, biking,
parachuting, flying, traveling. Her parents reside in New
Mexico.
Education: Graduated from William Horlick High
School, Racine Wisconsin in 1979; received bachelor of science
degree in zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1983
and doctorate in medicine from the same school in 1987.
Organizations: Aerospace Medical Association,
Society of U.S. Naval Flight Surgeons.
Awards: Navy Commendation Medals (3); National
Defense Medal, and Overseas Service Ribbon
Experience: During medical school she did
active duty training with the Diving Medicine Department at the
Naval Experimental Diving Unit in March 1987. After completing
medical school, Dr. Clark underwent postgraduate Medical education
in Pediatrics from 1987-1988 at Naval Hospital Bethesda, Maryland.
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, and was
designated a Radiation Health Officer and Undersea Medical Officer.
She was then assigned as the Submarine Squadron Fourteen Medical
Department Head in Holy Loch Scotland. During that assignment she
dove with US Navy divers and Naval Special Warfare Unit Two Seals
and performed numerous medical evacuations from US submarines.
After two years of operational experience she was designated as a
Naval Submarine Medical Officer and Diving Medical Officer. She
underwent 6 months of aeromedical training at the Naval Aerospace
Medical Institute in Pensacola, Florida and was designated as a
Naval Flight Surgeon. She was stationed at MCAS Yuma, Arizona and
assigned as Flight Surgeon for a Marine Corps AV-8B Night Attack
Harrier Squadron (VMA 211). She made numerous deployments,
including one overseas to the Western Pacific, practiced medicine
in austere environments, and flew on multiple aircraft. Her
squadron won the Marine Attack Squadron of the year for its
successful deployment. She was then assigned as the Group Flight
Surgeon for the Marine Aircraft Group (MAG 13). Prior to her
selection as an astronaut candidate she served as a Flight Surgeon
for the Naval Flight Officer advanced training squadron (VT-86) in
Pensacola, Florida. LCDR Clark is Board Certified by the National
Board of Medical Examiners and holds a Wisconsin Medical
License.
Her military qualifications include Radiation
Health Officer, Undersea Medical Officer, Diving Medical Officer,
Submarine Medical Officer, and Naval Flight Surgeon. She is a Basic
Life Support Instructor, Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider,
Advanced Trauma Life Support Provider, and Hyperbaric Chamber
Advisor.
NASA Experience: Selected by NASA in April
1996, Dr. Clark reported to the Johnson Space Center in August
1996. 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.