Laurel Clark, 41, a commander (captain-select) in the U.S. Navy and a naval flight surgeon, was Mission Specialist 4 on STS-107. Clark received a bachelor of science in zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1983 and a doctorate in medicine from the same school in 1987.

As a member of the Red Team, Clark worked with primarily on experiments relating to biology and medicine. Among them were the study of the effects of microgravity on microbial physiology and space flight effects on Fungal Growth.

Selected by NASA in April 1996, Clark was making her first space flight. Prior to her selection as an astronaut candidate she served as a Flight Surgeon for the Naval Flight Officer advanced training squadron in Pensacola, Florida.

Born in Iowa, Clark considered Racine, Wisconsin, to be her hometown. She is survived by Jonathan B. Clark (Captain, USN) and their one child.

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