When Haileybury student Anay (Year 10) decided to conduct a survey on the psychological impacts of lockdown on school-aged children during the COVID-19 pandemic, he did not anticipate that it would pave the way for him to become the youngest presenter at a prestigious international conference.
In late 2024, Anay presented his pioneering study on the psychological challenges of long-duration space missions at the prestigious 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC24) in Milan. IAC24 was attended by experts from space agencies, companies and research centres from across the world.
The Year 10 student says his research was sparked by the experience of COVID-19 lockdowns which caused him to reflect on the “psychological parallels between lockdown life and the challenges faced by astronauts.”
These parallels included confinement, isolation and disruption from normal routines. “This perspective aligned closely in developing extended reality (XR) technologies to support astronaut mental health,” he says.
Anay’s research explored how immersive natural environments could mitigate stress, elevate mood and enhance cognitive performance, all factors essential for maintaining wellbeing on long duration space missions.
His opportunity to present at IAC24 eventuated after Anay connected with a researcher at a workshop he attended on Humans in Spaceflight. This connection led to an invitation to join a multi-disciplinary university team, co-write a manuscript and ultimately present the findings at the congress.
Anay had the privilege to meet multiple astronauts and hear their stories. They “were incredibly inspiring and reminded me to dream big and aim higher,” he says. He also visited Thales Alenia Space, a global space manufacturing company in Turin, where he saw the Lunar Gateway space station under construction.
Anay says the experience has been inspirational and educational. “I left Milan with new collaborators, sharper research ideas, and an even stronger drive to push the boundaries of space medicine. It reinforced that curiosity and commitment matter far more than age.”
The congress provided a platform to network with international industry experts. “With over 14,000 attendees from 120 nations, it was truly mind-blowing. Hearing from global experts sparked new ideas for research I now want to explore further,” he says.
Anay is grateful for the support which has enabled him to attend IAC24. “I’m incredibly grateful to my research team and research lead for taking a leap of faith and trusting me to deliver the entire presentation. I’m also thankful to my parents, who flew across the world with me (without them this opportunity would not be possible), and to Haileybury.”
Looking ahead, Anay will present research at the Humans in Space Symposium at the 76th International Astronautical Congress in Sydney later this year. His abstract was selected for presentation through a competitive review process.