As part of her citizen-scientist astronaut candidate training, she has taken part in microgravity flight campaigns to test commercial spacesuits, high altitude noctilucent cloud cloud campaigns, centrifuge studies, emergency spacecraft egress and sea survival training, land survival school and simulated Mars missions. She is also a speaker with the National Speakers Bureau, and has given talks in Singapore at the invitation of the Singaporean government, at former Canadian Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell’s invitation, as well as two TEDx talks. She is an accomplished martial artist and holds a second degree black belt in Taekwondo, having fought at Worlds in 2016, and dabbles in Muay Thai, having fought (and won) in her first amateur fight in Thailand in 2017. She holds her solo sky-diving license and open water, advanced, rescue and Nitrox SCUBA diving certifications, and is currently working towards her private pilot’s license. She is fluent in English, French and Gujurati and speaks basic Russian and Spanish.

What is your educational background?
Shawna hold degrees in Honors Neuroscience (BSc., University of Alberta), Space Studies (MSc., International Space University) and Medicine (MD, University of Alberta). She has completed her residency in Family Medicine (CFPC, University of Alberta), and is concurrently working on a Fellowship in Wilderness Medicine through the Academy of Wilderness Medicine and completing a residency in Enhanced Surgical Skills through the University of Saskatchewan).

What are your daily responsibilities?
Shawna’s daily responsibilities vary widely, depending on the day, but can include seeing patients in the hospital, clinic or ER, delivering babies, operating, performing endoscopies, writing research papers, working and training with her fellow citizen-scientist astronaut candidates to gather scientific data and/or test and train new equipment while honing their skills as a team, and performing science outreach and giving talks to schools, organizations and companies alike.

What hurdles did you face?
There have certainly been hurdles and obstacles throughout my career, but when faced with adversity, I prefer to step back and think of it as a character-building exercise, that challenges me to think differently, and attack the problem in a different way.

What advice would you give to the 15-18 year old version of yourself?
There is never a time when it is okay to do anything other than your very best and give 110%, every minute of every day. Never let anyone tell you that you don’t belong here or you cannot do what you want to do because of you background, race or gender. Set out to become the best. Act like you belong here – because you do.