First British astronaut explores high-pressure parallels between space and medicine at Marx Lecture
The high-stakes worlds of space and medicine will meet when pioneering first British astronaut in space, Helen Sharman CMG OBE, takes to the stage for the third annual Marx Lecture.
At the event, on Tuesday 2 June, Helen will explore the parallels between astronauts and medical teams. Both operate under intense pressure, prepare for life-or-death scenarios, and work in environments where trust, precision and communication are critical.
She will be introduced by anaesthetist, intensive care doctor and broadcaster Kevin Fong OBE, who worked as a NASA medic during the Space Shuttle era.
A chemist by trade, in 1989 Helen was chosen from 13,000 citizen applicants to travel into space. Following a rigorous selection process, she underwent 18 months of intensive spaceflight training, preparing for ‘feeling weightless’ and g-forces, learning how to cope inside a cramped space capsule, how to deal with a landing in the sea and training for all possible scenarios at 17,500 miles an hour.
Last week marked 35 years since Helen launched into space as a research cosmonaut on 18 May 1991, aboard Soyuz TM-12 alongside two Soviet cosmonauts. The mission lasted eight days.
Helen Sharman said:
‘The parallels between doctors and astronauts are impossible to ignore. Years of relentless training, split-second life-or-death decisions, and high-pressure environments steeped in risk.
‘Whether facing equipment failure hundreds of miles above Earth or performing emergency surgery against the clock, success depends on one critical force above all else: teamwork. It’s a vital element for success.’
The Marx lecture is an annual event which champions the leadership and team-working values of former GMC Chair Dame Clare Marx, who died from pancreatic cancer in 2022.
The event will be attended by 150 invited influential and senior leaders from healthcare organisations including the NHS, British Medical Association and the Care Quality Commission, as well as doctors and educators from around the UK.
GMC Chair, Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen, said:
‘In both medicine and space exploration, success depends on trust, resilience, and teamwork under immense pressure. Like Dame Clare Marx, Helen is a true pioneer and trailblazer whose leadership champions open communication, empowers teams, and inspires excellence.’
The lecture, in front of an invited audience, will conclude with a question-and-answer session with Helen, hosted by Dr Emma Roche, a former Marx Fellow at the GMC.
