Current Fellows and Alumni
Current Fellows
Curtis “Trey” Lowery III, MD, PhD
Dr. Lowery is the 2nd Space Medicine Fellow at UTHealth Houston, beginning his training in July 2023. His diverse background spans nearly every level of the emergency medical system, from working as an ED scribe and EMT to participating in wilderness search and rescue—all leading to his current role as an Emergency Medicine attending physician.
Dr. Lowery completed his Emergency Medicine residency at UTHSC Memphis, where he gained experience in austere medicine while working at a clinic in the Philippines, pursued additional training in Hyperbaric Medicine, and developed intubation safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, he has collaborated with the VA to develop patents aimed at improving treatments for heart attacks, strokes, and combat-related hemorrhagic reperfusion injuries.
Beyond medicine, Dr. Lowery is passionate about wilderness medicine, search and rescue, and advancing humanity’s future in space. In his free time, he enjoys SCUBA diving, blacksmithing, hiking, canoeing, pickleball, racquetball, and trivia.
Sam Beger, MD, MPH
Dr. Beger is the 3rd Space Medicine Fellow at UTHealth Houston. He earned his medical degree and Master of Public Health from the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix before completing his Emergency Medicine residency at UTHealth Houston in 2024.
Before residency, Dr. Beger gained hands-on experience in the aerospace industry, working with SpaceX at both Cape Canaveral and Boca Chica. During residency, he served as Vice Chief of Aerospace Medicine, further solidifying his expertise in the intersection of emergency and space medicine.
Dr. Beger is passionate about advancing both Emergency Medicine and Space Medicine, contributing to the future of human spaceflight. Outside of medicine and aerospace, he enjoys roasting coffee—having founded his own coffee roasting company in Phoenix, AZ—as well as playing soccer and biking around Houston.
Alumni
Nicolas Heft, MD
Dr. Nicolas Heft is an Emergency Medicine physician and the co-founder and inaugural fellow of the Space Medicine Fellowship. As the program’s first fellow, he played a pivotal role in shaping its foundation and has remained deeply involved in its continued growth.
Dr. Heft earned his medical degree from Florida Atlantic University College of Medicine in 2019 before completing his Emergency Medicine residency at UTHealth Houston in 2022. Since then, he has been instrumental in advancing the fellowship, forging key partnerships, and implementing innovative processes that have elevated both the program and UTHealth Houston’s presence in the field of space medicine. His efforts have helped bring the fellowship forward, expanding opportunities for future physician-scientists in this pioneering specialty.