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UCF scientists get money to study astronaut memory

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Two University of Central Florida professors have been awarded $900,000 to study how astronauts' memory and attention spans change during long missions in space.

NASA awarded the grants last week to Stephen Fiore and Shawn Burke.

The grants were part of a $12 million pool for research into the effects of long duration spaceflight on visual impairment, bone and muscle loss, human performance, cardiovascular health, and sensory and motor adaptations.

NASA believes the research will help astronauts when they eventually get to Mars.

Fiore is director of the Cognitive Sciences Laboratory at UCF.

Burke is a research professor at the Institute for Simulation & Training, specializing in team dynamics and behavior.