Ogdensburg native Kathryn L. Montgomery is spending her summer working alongside NASA scientists through the National Space Biomedical Research Institute internship program.

The Madrid-Waddington Central School graduate is one of 15 students who will have a hand in organizing upcoming trips to the moon, working at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this summer.

She is assigned to the neuroscience laboratory at the space center, where she is developing methods of determining how and to what effect long-duration space flight affects an astronaut's ability to complete tasks.

"It is really interesting to learn how harsh outer space can be on the human body," Ms. Montgomery said in a statement. "Finding ways to measure and mitigate the harmful effects of spaceflight will be a major stepping stone to safely send people even farther for longer periods into space. I really love getting to be a part of that."

Ms. Montgomery is a bioengineering major at Rice University, Houston, where she is entering her senior year. She is the daughter of Michael and Lyle Montgomery, Ogdensburg.