Irene Karoliussen

Irene Karoliussen
Currently, on leave

Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Space (CIRiS)
NTNU Social Research

Mobile phone: +47 986 23 855
E-mail: irene.karoliussen@ciris.no

Background

Irene Karoliussen holds a MSc and BSc in cell and molecular biology with further education in organizational phycology and nature management. She has worked as a Research Scientist at CIRiS since 2006.

Research area

Research activities involve plant cultivation in closed systems for space and Earth applications, with particular focus on nutrient delivery, plant health and resource recycling techniques and monitoring. Karoliussen is currently leading a payload development project (3D Bronchial Mucosa), involving design and development of hardware dedicated for cell-biology experiments on the International Space station.

Karoliussen has extended experience with plant cultivation, and she has contributed to roadmaps for future space biology experiments. She is a certified console operator for ESA and NASA for the International Space Station program and have long experience with integration and operation of spaceflight projects.

Karoliussen has special interest in astrobiology, astronomy and human space flight and she has high hopes for the Perseverance mission to Mars as well the future exploration taking place in the Lunar Gateway and Moon base facilities.