CHRISTOPHER PUHL
Profile:
Space scientist and neuroscientist with a PhD in Neuroscience and over a decade of experience at the intersection of biomedical research and human spaceflight operations. Served as Payload Integration Manager and Project Scientist at ESA, leading end-to-end management of ISS scientific payloads and serving as Lead Mission Integrator for Axiom-3 and Axiom-4 commercial human spaceflight missions. At Exobiosphere, Chris leads business development translating deep domain expertise in ESA programmes, commercial spaceflight, and biomedical research into strategic partnerships, investor relationships, and market opportunities for microgravity-enabled drug discovery.
Work History:
2025 - CURRENT: EXOBIOSPHERE | LUXEMBOURGBusiness Development Manager
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2022 - 2025: Space Applications Services NV/SA on behalf of ESA | Noordwijk, NetherlandsPayload Integration Manager (ESA)
As Payload Integration Manager at ESA's Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration, Chris managed the complete life cycle of scientific and non-scientific ISS payloads from proposal review and feasibility assessment through hardware development reviews (PDR, CDR, FAR), operations reviews, safety, logistics, on-orbit operations, and post-flight lessons learned. He served as Lead Mission Integrator for the Axiom-3 and Axiom-4 commercial human spaceflight missions, coordinating integration activities across ESA, NASA, ISRO, HUNOR, and SNSA, supporting the drafting of the ESA-Axiom MoU, and leading regular trilateral meetings. He also served as Lead Mission Integrator for the Czech PAM Mission (NLT 2028) and co-led the ESA SciSpacE Experts Strategy Workshop, bringing together over 60 leading scientists to define the scientific roadmap for the coming decade.
2024 - 2025: Delta Biosciences | Vilnius, LithuaniaAdvisor – Space Sciences and Missions
Advising a growing biotech company on entering the space R&D market, Chris developed a spaceflight experiment strategy aligned with the company's biopharma pipeline, identified commercial microgravity opportunities, and facilitated strategic introductions to key decision-makers at ESA and commercial platform operators.
2023 - 2025: YourScienceTech | Walton-on-Thames, UKChief Executive Officer (voluntary)
Leading YourScienceTech, Chris oversees proposal development and submission to European and British institutional funders including EIC and UKSA — with a current NSIP proposal under Phase 2 review — and drives strategic planning for IP commercialisation, go-to-market roadmap development, and new product ideation.
2022 - 2022: Telespazio BE on behalf of ESA | Noordwijk, NetherlandsProject Scientist – Space Biology
Planned and supported scientific and development activities for ESA's SciSpacE programme, facilitating the science definition process as requirements engineer and coordinating science teams, integration managers, and engineers. He managed the Ground Based Facilities programme through the Open Science Innovation Platform, organised proposal peer review processes, and monitored ongoing life science experiments on the ISS and ground-based analogues. He also co-led the ESA SciSpacE Experts Strategy Workshop in this role coordinating external contractors, managing event organisation at ESTEC, and collating inputs from the scientific community.
2017 - 2021: Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits, UCL | London, UKPostdoctoral Research Associate
Conducted high-level neuroscience research using in vivo electrophysiology, two-photon microscopy, transgenic animal models, gene editing through viral vector injection, and machine learning analytics pipelines. Supervised Masters-level and PhD students, regularly participated in strategic research direction discussions, and provided written and presentation-based project updates.
2013 - 2017: King's College London | London, UKMRC PhD Research Fellow
Led an independent research project establishing a novel model system for studying epilepsy, managing his own research budget and producing and defending a PhD Thesis. His work spanned a broad range of techniques including organoid and slice cultures, viral vectors, confocal and two-photon microscopy, optogenetics, pharmacogenetics, in vitro electrophysiology, and in vivo calcium imaging. He delivered 3 award-winning presentations at international conferences and published a scientific review article.
EDUcation:
King's College London, UKDoctor of Neuroscience
King's College London, UKMaster of Research in Developmental Neurobiology
University of Sussex, UKBSc (Hons) in Neuroscience
TSTI, Noordwijk, NetherlandsDesign of Space Missions and Systems (course)
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
1. Puhl C & Magkos M (2025) To Mars through LEO: How commercial space travel will change exploration-enabling research. J Experimental Physiology, in press.
2. Puhl C et al. (2024) Muninn Mission on Axiom-3: The First Collaboration to fly an ESA Astronaut on a Commercial Flight. IAF Proceedings, 140–144.
3. Davis T, Tabury K … Puhl C et al. (2024) How are cell and tissue structure and function influenced by gravity? NPJ Microgravity, 10(1):16.
4. Puhl C, Caplin N, Fogtman A, Van Ombergen A (2022) Wound management and healing in space. Frontiers in Bioeng and Biotech, 10:958515.
5. Puhl CJ, Wefelmeyer W, Burrone J (2023) Cholinergic Stimulation Modulates the Functional Composition of CA3 Cell Types in the Hippocampus. J Neurosci, 43(27):4972–4983.
6. Wefelmeyer W, Puhl CJ, Burrone J (2016) Homeostatic Plasticity of Subcellular Neuronal Structures. Trends in Neurosciences, 39(10):656–667.