Enchanting Danube River Cruise-October 24 – November 2, 2025
After two flying tours as a Canadian military pilot, Dr. Robert (Bob) Banks received his Doctor of Medicine (MD) at the University of Toronto in 1986. Following his internship and four years practicing as a flight surgeon and ER physician, Bob completed the United States Navy Residency of Aerospace Medicine. While a resident, he conducted human-subject research that identified an unknown physiological mechanism that caused loss of consciousness of pilots in flight.
Dr. Banks’ professional activities over many years were focused on human flight, and medical and engineering forensic investigations of trauma. He led an investigation into the cause and mechanism of injuries experienced by the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia when it crashed in 2003. His publications are found in the journal of the Aerospace Medical Association, aviation and space medicine textbooks, and on the NASA website.
He was recently presented with the William Randolph Lovelace Award by the Society of NASA Flight Surgeons for his career contributions to space and aviation flight safety.