Experience

The Journey So Far

From sports science pitchside to spaceflight physiology — a career built on one question: how far can human performance go?

Timeline

Career

Early career

Sports scientist — Lucozade Sport

Early roles in applied sport science, physiology, strength & conditioning and performance nutrition — including work with Lucozade Sport and applied research with elite athletes.

Professional football · 5 years

Head of Performance — Premier League

Five years leading performance in professional football, including the Premier League — where she was one of only three women working at that level — plus roles with the Football Association and the Women's Super League.

Motorsport & individual athletes

McLaren Formula One · world-ranked tennis & golf

Human performance work with the McLaren Formula One race team — including published research on cognitive function at the Singapore Grand Prix — and coaching of world No.1 players and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes.

Olympic & Paralympic sport

Head of Performance — athletics

Led multidisciplinary expert teams across Olympic and Paralympic athletics programmes, innovating methods such as a novel pill-based technique for measuring total-body muscle mass and individualised nutrition strategies.

Doctoral research

PhD, Aerospace Physiology — King's College London

Centre of Human & Aerospace Physiological Sciences. Doctoral research included hyper-buoyancy flotation — a spaceflight analogue — and its effects on sleep and cognitive function.

NASA

Visiting Scientist — NASA Ames Research Center

Research at NASA Ames in California, including work with GeneLab investigating the effects of spaceflight at the molecular level. Recognised with awards from the NASA Human Research Program, the Aerospace Medical Association and the International Astronautical Federation.

Founder

Astro Perform · Astro Health · Urinfo®

Founded Astro Perform, specialising in astronaut selection and training for individuals and space agencies, alongside Astro Health and Urinfo®, a passive hydration-monitoring venture.

Service

British Army Reserve Officer — Royal Engineers

Commissioned officer in the Royal Engineers, with command of a unit of up to 100 personnel.

Education & Credentials

Education

PHD

Aerospace Physiology

King's College London — Centre of Human & Aerospace Physiological Sciences.

ISU

International Space University

Alumna of the world's leading interdisciplinary space education institution.

BSC · MSC

Sport & Exercise Sciences

Undergraduate and master's degrees in the sport and exercise sciences.

CSCI · CSCS

Chartered Scientist

Chartered Scientist (CSci) and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).

Recognition

Awards

Emerging Space Leader 2019 — IAF NASA Human Research Program award Aerospace Medical Association award UK & European Space Agency scholarships Faith Bennett Navigation Cup
Research

Selected publications

13 publications · 448 citations · full list on ResearchGate.

Moments

Along the way

Tess Morris-Paterson at her PhD graduation, King's College London
PhD graduation — King's College London
Emerging Space Leaders at the International Astronautical Congress
International Astronautical Congress
Tess in front of the Saturn V rocket at NASA Johnson Space Center
Saturn V — NASA Johnson Space Center
Tess with ESA astronaut Jean-François Clervoy
With ESA astronaut Jean-François Clervoy
Tess presenting at the Aerospace Medical Association conference
Aerospace Medical Association
Tess undergoing maximal aerobic testing in the performance laboratory
Maximal aerobic testing