Founding 2026BelgiumNon-profit in formation (vzw·asbl)
EIOSHS ·European Initiative for Oral and Systemic Health in Space
Founding the science of oral health beyond Earth.
EIOSHS is establishing oral and systemic health as a discipline of space medicine, and translating what we learn off-planet into better healthcare on Earth. Initiative in formation; nothing here represents confirmed partnerships, funding or completed work yet.
Bone loss, radiation, immune drift, an altered microbiome. The same forces that reshape an astronaut's body reshape their mouth first. EIOSHS is the independent European initiative building the science, the consortia and the clinical playbook for it.
Initiative in formation · Membership opening soon
Join the EIOSHS Waiting List.
EIOSHS is currently being established as an international non-profit organisation. Register your interest now and we will contact you as soon as the formal membership process opens.
01Vision
Human space exploration is entering a new era.
Long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond create new medical and scientific challenges. While much research has focused on radiation exposure, bone loss, muscle atrophy and psychological adaptation, the relationship between oral health and systemic health in space environments remains largely unexplored.
EIOSHS treats this gap as a discipline of its own: a focused field connecting dentistry, medicine, biology, engineering, life sciences and space medicine.
02Mission
A focused initiative for an underexplored field.
EIOSHS promotes, develops and supports scientific research on oral and systemic health in space environments, and builds the international collaborative network needed to address the challenges of long-duration human spaceflight.
Research
Developing scientific concepts and pilot studies.
Collaboration
Connecting dentistry, medicine, biology, engineering, life sciences and space medicine.
Translation
Bringing findings from space medicine into healthcare on Earth.
03Research Areas
Five intersecting fields.
EIOSHS focuses on the oral and systemic dimensions of human health in space environments. The areas below are open scientific directions, written as questions rather than completed work.
Oral health during spaceflight and long-duration missions
↗Understanding dental risks, prevention strategies and clinical resilience during future missions.
↗Interactions between oral and systemic health in space environments
↗Investigating how oral inflammation, immunity and systemic adaptation may interact under space conditions.
↗Space microbiome research
↗Exploring how oral microbial ecosystems may change in isolation, altered immunity and space environments.
↗Prevention, diagnostics and monitoring strategies for astronauts
↗Developing ideas for monitoring, early detection and preventive health strategies.
↗Translational applications benefiting astronaut health and healthcare on Earth
↗Translating space health insights into broader innovation for medicine and dentistry on Earth.
↗04Strategic Role
A collaborative research hub.
EIOSHS is designed as a neutral platform that helps researchers and institutions work together across borders and disciplines.
Scientific concepts and pilot studies
Developing structured research concepts and pilot study designs in oral and systemic space health.
International research consortia
Bringing together universities, hospitals and research groups into multidisciplinary consortia.
Grant application support
Supporting the preparation of European and international grant applications with academic partners.
Interdisciplinary collaboration
Facilitating exchange between dentistry, medicine, biology, engineering, life sciences and space medicine.
05Funding Strategy
Built to integrate into European research funding.
EIOSHS is being structured to progressively integrate into European and international research funding ecosystems. The targets below describe the initiative's intended trajectory; no specific awards are implied.
Innovation & feasibility
Regional innovation and feasibility programmes (e.g. VLAIO in Flanders) to support early institutional development.
National research
National research funding bodies accessed via academic partner institutions across Europe.
European frameworks
European research frameworks such as Horizon Europe, with EIOSHS as a specialist partner or future coordinator.
Space medicine programmes
Space medicine and exploration programmes, including initiatives related to the European Space Agency ecosystem.
06Membership
Become part of EIOSHS.
Membership will be open to researchers, clinicians, students and institutions working across dentistry, medicine, biology, engineering, life sciences and space medicine.
The statutory categories are Founding, Ordinary, Student, Associate and Honorary Member. Until the membership process opens, you can register your interest on the waiting list.
Join the Waiting List07Independent Initiative
A neutral platform for international collaboration.
An independent non-profit structure provides a dedicated platform for research and education, greater flexibility for international collaboration, access to future funding opportunities and a sustainable foundation capable of growing beyond any individual founder.
Scientific focus
A dedicated structure for research and education on oral and systemic health in space environments.
International collaboration
Greater flexibility for partnerships across universities, hospitals and research groups worldwide.
Long-term sustainability
Access to future funding opportunities and a sustainable platform capable of growing beyond any individual founder.
Help shape a
new field
of space medicine.
Join the waiting list, or contact the founders for research collaboration, institutional partnership or foundation inquiries.