Christina Birch

Last updated

Christina Birch
Christina Birch portrait (cropped).jpg
NASA portrait, 2021
Born
Christina Marie Birch

(1986-11-17) November 17, 1986 (age 37)
Education University of Arizona (BS)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS, PhD)
Space career
NASA astronaut
Selection NASA Group 23 (2021)
Scientific career
Fields Biological engineering
Thesis Identification of Malaria Parasite-Infected Red Blood Cell Aptamers by Inertial Microfluidics SELEX  (2015)
Doctoral advisor Jacquin Niles
Christina Birch
Medal record
Women's track cycling
Representing Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Pan American Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2018 Aguascalientes Team pursuit
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2019 Cochabamba Team pursuit
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2018 AguascalientesMadison

Christina Marie Birch (born November 17, 1986) is an American professional racing cyclist and NASA astronaut.

Contents

Early life and career

Birch grew up in Gilbert, Arizona, and graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor's degree in mathematics, biochemistry, and molecular biophysics. Birch began cycling with the MIT cycling team while working on her PhD. While at MIT she won the 2014 USA Cycling collegiate cyclocross division two national championship. Birch also represented the JAM Fund cyclocross team from 2011-2015. [1]

After earning a doctorate in biological engineering from MIT in 2015, Birch moved to Southern California to pursue track cycling full time. She taught bioengineering at the University of California, Riverside, and scientific writing and communication at the California Institute of Technology. On the track, Birch has represented the US at multiple Pan American Championships, World Cups, and World Championships. She competed at the 2018 and 2019 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, and the 2019 Pan American Games. [2]

Birch was named to the US track cycling 2020 Olympics long team for the USA in June 2020. [3]

Astronaut candidacy

On December 6, 2021, Birch was formally announced as a NASA astronaut candidate with NASA Astronaut Group 23. [4]

Major results

2014
National Cyclocross Championships
1st MaillotUSA.PNG Collegiate Division Two [5]
2015
National Track Championships
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Madison
2016
National Track Championships
1st MaillotUSA.PNG Individual pursuit
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Madison
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Points race
2017
National Track Championships
1st MaillotUSA.PNG Individual pursuit
1st MaillotUSA.PNG Team pursuit
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Madison
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Points race
2018
Pan American Track Championships
1st PanAmericanJersey.png Team pursuit
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Madison
National Track Championships
1st MaillotUSA.PNG Team pursuit
1st MaillotUSA.PNG Madison
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Points race
3rd Bronze medal blank.svg Omnium
2019
Pan American Track Championships
2nd Silver medal america.svg Team pursuit
National Track Championships
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Madison
3rd Bronze medal blank.svg Points race
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Omnium

Personal life

She is a partner of a racing cyclist Ashton Lambie. [6]

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References

  1. "Christina Birch's Race History at crossresults.com". www.crossresults.com.
  2. "Christina Birch | Track Cycling". USA Cycling. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  3. "Olympic Long Team Announced for Mountain Bike, Road, &…". USA Cycling.
  4. Margetta, Robert (December 6, 2021). "NASA Selects New Astronaut Recruits to Train for Future Missions". NASA.
  5. "The Official Website - USA Cycling". legacy.usacycling.org.
  6. "This pro track cyclist is going to be an astronaut". CyclingTips. December 7, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2022.