Dr Sarah Gaier ’17 Researches Space Travel in Antarctica
By the Alumni and Communications Team, UWCSEA
9 July 2026
Life under the eternal sun: UWCSEA Alumna Dr Sarah Gaier ’17 prepares for space as a Biomedical Researcher at Antarctica’s Concordia Station.
For most of us, a layover at Changi Airport is a routine part of travel. Dr Sarah Gaier’s, stopover there in November 2025 served as a reminder of her time at UWCSEA East before she sets off for one of the most isolated environments on Earth.
Selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) as the station’s Biomedical Researcher, Sarah is spending 12 months at Concordia Research Station in Antarctica. Known as “White Mars”, the site is so remote that during the winter months, the crew is farther from civilisation than astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Writing from Concordia, Sarah reflects on life at the station and her research on human adaptation in ‘White Mars’.
It’s 10pm as I write this, and the sun, surrounded by a halo of dancing ice crystals, sits high above me, overlooking a calm and seemingly infinite stretch of white nothingness. At 1200 kilometres inland and 3233 metres of altitude within the Antarctic desert, I sit comfortably inside a base where the ambient temperature of 21°C makes it easy to forget that it’s -60°C outside. There is no wildlife here, no changing landscape, no vegetation. This is Concordia Station, and the hostility of its environment has earned it the apt nickname ‘White Mars’.
Right now, as February begins, the winter-over crew (myself included) of 12 are starting a 9-month period of isolation, where civilisation will be less accessible to us than to the astronauts on the ISS. We are a mix of scientists and technicians who keep the lights on and the water running warm while we study Antarctica under the cover of the eternal sun (and soon, the Milky Way).
The Science of Isolation
The psychological strain of isolated, confined, and extreme environments and the effects of the polar light cycle on circadian rhythm disruption are the two most studied aspects of human biomedicine at Concordia. Over twenty years ago, the European Space Agency began looking at Concordia as a mimic for Mars, setting up human biomedical experiments to help plan for future lunar and Mars missions.
This year, I’m running eight different experiments, ranging from psychology to pain perception. For the crew, that means filling out questionnaires, getting blood drawn, and chewing on salivettes every month or two. In addition to the research, I train the crew in search and rescue. I work closely with our plumber as I analyse water recycled by an ESA-funded machine. I’ve been taught how to lead a team in case of fire, gone 15m under the ice into the seismology tunnels, and climbed up the 45-metre-high American tower.
From the NHS to the End of the Earth
On my stopover in November at Changi Airport on my way to Christchurch, NZ (the ‘gateway’ to Antarctica), I was hit with nostalgia. I hadn't been back since starting medical school after graduating from UWCSEA in 2017.
My first two years of medical training in London were marked by the chaos of the Emergency Department, nightshifts, and the bazaar of working in understaffed and underfunded NHS hospitals. It was difficult, but it taught me so much. Working as a doctor is a privilege—to be a witness to the best and worst days of people's lives, to be entrusted with their vulnerabilities, and to simply help in any capacity possible.
How I ended up on the white continent begins with a kid who loved the stars and wanted to be an astronaut. Being ‘realistic’, I pursued medicine under the guidance of one of my science teachers at the College. Though I didn’t always feel it was the right career for me at first, I pushed through, and now I truly can say it was worth it.
I’m still pursuing curiosity over stability in my career, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. The polar night is approaching, and with it the most extreme adventure of my life—I’m nothing if not excited for it.
“UWCSEA helped me carve a space in the STEM world for myself and made me feel like I had just as much right to be there as my male counterparts. My education, my mentors, and the ethos of UWC taught me that no dream is too big, that hard work does pay off, and that resilience makes the impossible seem achievable. My time there taught me not to fear the unknown, which made it so very easy to pack my bags and leave for the end of the earth.”
– Dr Sarah Gaier ’17
As the “eternal sun” begins to set and months of darkness approach, Sarah's journey offers a powerful reminder to our current students that a UWCSEA education can take you to the most unexpected places. Her decision to step into the unknown embodies the spirit of the UWC Mission. When her time at Concordia comes to an end, we look forward to welcoming her back home.
