- Space Exploration Initiative
Designer & Researcher, Space Exploration Initiative
Sanjana (Sana) Sharma works with the MIT Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) to incorporate qualitative research methods and human-centered design into objects, experiences, and environments for space.
She currently leads SEI's Astronaut Ethnography research project, which aims to capture and distill first-person accounts of microgravity from spacefaring humans into a series of cultural and design resources to inspire future space engineering, policy, and design. She also incorporates human insights into her own design work, including Fluid Expressions, an artifact specifically designed for painting in microgravity.
Sana has a background in physics and architecture, and has contributed design work at institutions such as Yale University, IBM Research, and Watson Health. She specializes in making complex subject matter accessible and engaging, having designed and built experiences for healthcare, AI, quantum computing, and outer space contexts.