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AIAA Los Angeles Section

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Hermosa Beach, CA, US

401 members · Public group

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For all who are interested in aerospace, aviation, space exploration, aircraft, spacecraft, science, technology, art, education, etc.

Upcoming events

2

Fri, Nov 14 · 12:00 PM PST
Quantum Computing for Aerospace: Optimizing Aircraft Utilization
Carson Library, 151 East Carson Street, Carson, CA, US
(RSVP Information: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/m5xeq4h/lp/80a6da78-e4d4-4c3e-8705-9f76a45af63a)
AIAA Los Angeles Section Lunch 'n Learn 11/14
(A hybrid event: In-person and online attendance)
Friday, November 14, 2025, 12 PM PST (GMT -0800) (U.S. and Canada)

Nov 14
AIAA - Quantum Computing for Aerospace: Optimizing Aircraft Utilization (Lunch 'n Learn November 14)
Presenter / Speaker:
*Murray Thom: VP of Quantum Technology Evangelism at D-Wave
*Parfait Atchade-Adelomou, Ph.D.: Co-Owner and Chief Quantum Innovation Officer at Lighthouse DIG and Research Affiliate at the MIT Media Lab
(The speakers will present online.)
Register
Carson Library (Training Room)
151 E Carson St, Carson, CA 90745

Virtual location
You will receive a confirmation email with a URL.
Nov 14, 2025 12:00pm PT - Nov 14, 2025 01:10pm PT

Disclaimer: The views of the speakers do not represent the views of AIAA or the AIAA Los Angeles Section.
Tentative Agenda: (All Time PST (GMT -0800)) (U.S. and Canada)
1130 Check-in, Networking
1200 Welcome and Introduction
1205 Presentation and Q&A
1305 Additional Q&A (if needed) / adjourn.
Quantum Computing for Aerospace: Optimizing Aircraft Utilization
Within aerospace, there are many complex optimization challenges. Quantum computing is already starting to address some real-world demanding scenarios. At this webinar, D-Wave’s VP Quantum Technology Evangelism will discuss the use cases within aerospace that quantum computers and quantum hybrid technology are best suited to solve.
One example is assigning aircraft to an airline’s flight schedule. There are many constraints in this process—including time windows that must be met at different airports, airplane maintenance schedules, and much more. At Vueling, a low-cost Spanish carrier, this is currently a slow and manual process, and is subject to scheduling errors and other issues. Recently, Lighthouse DIG, a technology services firm, explored the use of D-Wave technology to automate this process. The result of this work was validation that D-Wave’s hybrid quantum computing is already capable of addressing real-world optimization problems in the aviation sector. Parfait Atchadé, Chief Quantum Innovation Officer (CQIO) at Lighthouse DIG and a Research Affiliate at the MIT Media Lab, will discuss this project and the results.
Murray Thom
VP of Quantum Technology Evangelism at D-Wave
Murray Thom, VP of Quantum Technology Evangelism at D-Wave, has more than 20 years of experience in the quantum computing industry. A globally recognized speaker and thought leader, Murray helps businesses and organizations around the world understand quantum computing and the transformational impact it can have for them today. In previous roles at D-Wave he was responsible for the development and delivery of the Leap quantum cloud service and the Ocean open source tools. He has led teams engaged in customer projects related to applications, algorithms, and performance testing. He has even assembled a few early quantum computers by hand.
Parfait Atchade
Co-Owner and Chief Quantum Innovation Officer at Lighthouse DIG and Research Affiliate at the MIT Media Lab
Parfait Atchade-Adelomou is Co-Owner and Chief Quantum Innovation Officer at Lighthouse DIG and Research Affiliate at the MIT Media Lab. Holding a PhD in Quantum Computing, he specializes in quantum algorithms, hybrid optimization, and AI-driven modeling. He builds innovative solutions that help organizations and cities solve complex challenges, bridging the gap between advanced research and practical impact. His mission is to scale quantum and AI technologies from the lab into real-world applications that transform industries and society.
[AIAA Los Angeles Section Lunch 'n Learn / Technical Chair, Gary Moir], [gary.moir@ingenuir.com] /
[AIAA Los Angeles Section], [contact@aiaa-lalv.org], [https://www.aiaa-lalv.org]
2 attendees
Mon, Nov 17 · 9:00 AM PST
•
Online
(On-line Webinar) Stem cell research and biomanufacturing in space
Online
(Please Register on this link to get the Webinar Link)
RSVP and Information: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/jjwek4n/lp/7a5f2150-0cb1-45b5-bef7-9197ed8c0e26)
(Also with AIAA Microgravity and Space Processes Technical Committee (MSP-TC) (now Gravity Dependent Science Technology Technical Committee (GDST-TC)), and Space Settlement Technical Committee)

AIAA Los Angeles online Webinar 11/17
(On-line attendance Only)
Monday, November 17, 2025, 12 PM EST (GMT -0500) / 9 AM PST (GMT -0800)

(11/17) Stem cell research and biomanufacturing in space
Presenter / Speaker:
Arun Sharma, PhD ; Associate Professor, Director, Center for Space Medicine Research at Cedars-Sinai
(The speaker will present online remotely.)

Virtual location
You will receive a confirmation email with a URL.
Nov 17, 2025 12:00pm ET - Nov 17, 2025 01:30pm ET

Presenter / Speaker:
Arun Sharma, PhD
Associate Professor
Director, Center for Space Medicine Research
Director, CIRM Shared Resources Laboratory
Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Smidt Heart Institute
Cancer Institute
Cedars-Sinai
Dr. Arun Sharma, PhD is a stem cell biologist focusing on cardiovascular biology and space biosciences. He is an associate professor at Cedars-Sinai and is affiliated with the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, the Smidt Heart Institute, the Cancer Institute, and the Department of Biomedical Sciences. He is the director of the Center for Space Medicine Research, and the director of the CIRM Shared Resources Laboratory at Cedars-Sinai.
Research in the Sharma laboratory focuses on the applications of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for modeling cardiovascular diseases outside of the body (in-vitro). The lab utilizes cutting-edge technologies including hiPSCs, genome editing, cardiac organ-on-chips, and 3D cardiac spheroids/organoids to understand the molecular mechanisms driving cardiovascular disease and heart development. For example, the Sharma laboratory employs hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (personalized, beating heart muscle cells) and endothelial cells (cells lining the blood vessels) to develop novel ways to assess and alleviate the cardiovascular damage caused by cancer drugs. The lab also studies the developmental mechanisms underlying congenital heart disease and vascular malformations.
Sharma also has a unique background and interest in the space biosciences and investigates means by which stem cell biology can intersect with this emerging field. In 2016, Dr. Sharma led a project that sent human stem cell-derived heart cells to the International Space Station to study the effects of microgravity on human heart function, which was the first long-duration cell culture experiment in space. He remains an internationally-recognized leader in the space biosciences field, and his laboratory studies means of harnessing microgravity to manufacture unique biomaterials.
Sharma has published articles in leading scientific journals such as Science, Nature Biotechnology, Science Translational Medicine, Circulation Research, Nature Reviews, Stem Cell Reports, and Cell Stem Cell. His research has been featured in major news outlets such as Forbes Magazine, Newsweek, Science Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science, STAT Wunderkinds, Sartorius & Science Award in Regenerative Medicine, the American Heart Association Career Development Award, the Compelling Results Award from NASA, the Igniting Innovation Award from the ISS National Laboratory, and the Donna and Jesse Garber Award for Cancer Research.
Dr. Sharma earned his bachelor's degree in biology from Duke University and his PhD in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine from Stanford University. He completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in cardiovascular genetics at Harvard Medical School. He is also an advocate for conveying science to general and scientific audiences through public speaking and social media.
Disclaimer: The views of the speakers do not represent the views of AIAA or the AIAA Los Angeles Section.
[AIAA Los Angeles Section], [contact@aiaa-lalv.org], [https://www.aiaa-lalv.org]
1 attendee

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