Laura Bridge MD

Education

2013 Internal Medicine Residency Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in affiliation with Wright State University, Dayton, OH
2010 MD Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
2006 BA College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA

Biography

Dr. Bridge gained experience in the field of space medicine as an aeromedical clerk at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX during her fourth year of medical school in 2010. As a senior internal medicine resident, she completed an elective rotation as a visiting researcher at NASA Johnson Space Center, continuing her previous work in the area of the medical training and preparation of astronaut crewmembers for long duration spaceflight. Following completion of her residency in 2010, she started as a staff general internist at the Aeromedical Consultation Service, located at the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM). She specializes in the evaluation of medically disqualified aviators, ground crew, and special duty operators, with an emphasis on minimizing medical risk in order to maintain flight safety. Additionally, Dr. Bridge is a lecturer in the Aerospace Medicine Primary Course at USAFSAM, instructing future flight surgeons in the aeromedical application of the principles of internal medicine. She is the author of numerous abstracts published in the journal Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance (formerly Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine) and presented at the Aerospace Medical Association Annual Scientific Meeting, where she was also a past panel co-chairperson. Her areas of interest include the integration of mental healthcare and behavioral healthcare into the delivery of comprehensive primary care, with a particular interest in the treatment of eating disorders.

Career Highlights: Positions, Projects, Deployements, Awards and Additional Publications

Bridge LM, Brinegar MG. Panel: Eating Disorders in the Military and the Impact on Aerospace Medicine. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. Mar 2017; 88(3): 193. Abstract and co-chair for panel before the Aerospace Medical Association, CO 2017.

Bridge LM, Brinegar MG. Aviators and Eating Disorders: Recognizing and Treating an Underdiagnosed Disease in the Flight Medicine Clinic. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. Mar 2017; 88(3):193-194. Abstract and presentation before the Aerospace Medical Association, CO, 2017.

Bridge LM. The Medical Complexity of Eating Disorders: Diagnosis, Management, and Aeromedical Risk. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. Mar 2017; 88(3):194. Abstract and presentation before the Aerospace Medical Association, CO, 2017.

Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, 2013 (lifetime member)

Wright State University, Charles B. Payne, Jr., MD Scholarly Activity Award, 2012

Wright-Patterson Medical Center, Distinguished Internal Medicine Resident Teacher, 2011

Representative Bibliography

Blue RS, Bridge LM, Chough NG, Cushman J, Khpal M, Watkins S. Identification of medical training methods for exploration missions. NASA TM 2014; 2014-217384.

Bridge LM. Optimizing training methods for exploration medical crew: An assessment of current gaps. NASA TR 2013; 2013-0013507.

Bridge LM, Watkins S. Impact of medical training level on medical autonomy for long duration spaceflight. NASA TP 2011; 2011-216159.