evidence: Dr. Piyumi Wijesekera, a scientist of Sri Lankan descent, has been chosen by NASA to join a four-member volunteer crew for a simulated Mars mission at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Scheduled to commence on 10th of May, the team, including Dr. Wijesekera, will enter the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) for this mission. Over approximately 45 days, they will undergo simulations replicating the conditions of a Mars mission, with their return to Earth slated for 24th of June. [...] Dr. Piyumi Wijesekera, currently serving as a postdoctoral research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, specializes in developing tissue models to investigate the impact of spaceflight stresses on the human respiratory system. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego, as well as master’s and doctoral degrees in biomedical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her doctoral research focused on stem cell and organ engineering, particularly in generating engineered lung models for studying respiratory diseases.