NAME:     Chiaki Naito-Mukai, M.D., Ph.D.
          NASDA Astronaut

BIRTHPLACE AND DATE:  Mukai was born in Tatebayashi, Gumma Prefecture, 
Japan in 1953. 

EDUCATION:    Mukai graduated from Keio Girls' High School, Tokyo, 
in 1971; received her doctor of medicine degree from Keio 
University School of Medicine in 1977; and received a doctorate 
in physiology from the Keio University School of Medicine in 
1988.  She was board certified as a cardiovascular surgeon by 
the Japan Surgical Society in 1989.  

EXPERIENCE:    Mukai was board certified for Clinical Medicine in 
1977, and, until 1979, worked as a resident in General Surgery 
at Keio University Hospital, Tokyo.  In 1978, she was on the 
medical staff in Emergency Surgery at Saiseikai Kanagawa 
Hospital, Kangewa Prefecture.  In 1980, she began work as a 
resident in cardiovascular surgery at Keio University Hospital 
and on the medical staff of cardiovascular surgery at Saisekai 
Utsunomiya Hospital, Tochigi Prefecture.  In 1983, she returned 
to Keio University Hospital as the chief resident in 
cardiovascular surgery and later became the assistant professor 
of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery.  

          Mukai was selected by NASDA in 1985 as one of three 
payload specialist  candidates for the Japanese Spacelab, 
Spacelab-J, on Shuttle mission STS-47.  She became a visiting 
scientist of the Division of Cardiovascular Physiology at the 
Space Biomedical Research Institute at JSC from 1987 to 1988.  
Mukai is credited with more than 50 publications since 1979.  

   Selected as a science astronaut by the National Space 
Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) in 1985.   She  will be making 
her first space flight as Payload Specialist 1 on flight STS-65.