Dr. Jojo Sayson: Scientist by day, superhero a little later

He wears his Superman costume and tries to save the world one child at a time.

 

Dr. Jojo Sayson is a known motivational speaker and children's rights advocate in the United States and in the Philippines.

 

Kids whom he helped think he is a real-life superhero.

 

But every superhero has an alter-ego. This superman is a practicing scientist —a physical therapist— at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during the day.

 

Astronauts’ savior, too

 

Prior to his study, scientists in NASA always wondered why astronauts commonly complained about back pains.

 

Sayson said in an interview with GMA News Online that he approached the question with another scientist, Dr. Alan Hargens, to produce a study to determine the cause of astronauts’ back pains.

 

In their 2008 paper titled, “Low Back Pain in Space and Proposed Countermeasures,” they found that astronauts' spines expand due to the decreased gravity and, because of this “deformation,” the nerves transmit impulses to the brain that are interpreted as feelings of low back pain.

 

“Microgravity causes chemical changes in the bones (resulting to back pains),” said Sayson.

 

Microgravity is the very low gravity experienced by a spacecraft within Earth’s orbit, at an altitude of around 190 km to 580 km above the Earth’s surface.

 

Working at NASA

 

Sayson has been working as a consultant and co-investigator for NASA’s Human Research Program for almost eleven years, together with other "superheroes" of space research.

 

“It’s a privilege because I work with the smartest people in the world,” said Sayson.

 

He started as a volunteer scientist for NASA at the University of California in 2002.

 

He added, “When you get accepted as part of the team, the way of thinking is very scientific… You have to be very productive.”

 

Sayson took up BS Physical Therapy at the University of Santo Tomas. He took up his Master's and Doctorate in Orthopedic Manual Therapy at the Ola Grimsby Institute in California.

 

He is now a current fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists.

 

First Pinoy astronaut?

 

However, Sayson also said he originally wanted to be an astronaut.

 

He first applied for the 2009 class of Astronaut Candidate Training Program. Sayson said, there are more than 6,000 applicants for every batch.

 

NASA’s site said, since 1959, only 330 astronauts have been selected to date. The first US astronauts were selected in 1959.

 

Sayson applied for the class of 2013 again. 

 

“They’re taking 12 for this class. I hope I’m in,” said Sayson. 

 

Sayson stayed in the Philippines for two weeks to promote his first book, Springboard to Heaven. The book was launched in an event at Makati City on Sept. 27.  — TJD, GMA News