Project leaders and contact persons
Dr. Robert Brent Thirsk
Dr. Thirsk was in the family medicine residency program at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Montréal when he was selected in December 1983 for the Canadian Astronaut Program. He began astronaut training in February 1984 and served as backup payload specialist to Marc Garneau for the October 1984 space shuttle mission STS-41G. In 2008, Dr. Thirsk was assigned to a long-duration flight as a member of Expedition 20. He will live and work up to six months on the International Space Station, with duties that include robotic operations and conducting scientific experiments on behalf of Canadian and international researchers. This extended stay in space - a Canadian first - is currently slated for 2009.
Read his complete biography here.
Dr. Michael A. Dixon
Dr. Mike Dixon is the Director of the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility and program, and Chair of the Environmental Biology Department, University of Guelph. Dr. Dixon joined the University in 1985 as an NSERC fellow after earning his PhD from Edinburgh University in Scotland and is now a full professor.
Read his complete biography here.
Robert Morrow, Project Manager
Robert (Bob) has been the Project Manager for Tomatosphere since February, 2002. His background is in education. He was a classroom teacher in Hamilton, Dundas, and Ancaster in Ontario; he was a teacher trainer in both Ontario and in East Africa. A geographer, Bob is also the author of three Canadian atlases, published by Pearson Canada. These are among the 114 books that he has authored or co-authored since 1969.
Read his complete biography here.
Tomatosphere is sponsored by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, Heinz Canada Ltd, HeinzSeed, Ontario Centres of Excellence, Stokes Seeds and the University of Guelph.
