Gretchen Green
Joined Atlas Obscura in 2026
Dr. Gretchen Green is a diagnostic radiologist and commercial astronaut whose clinical background spans 20+ years in women's imaging and breast cancer diagnostics, 200+ medical malpractice cases as an expert witness, and direct participation in AI-powered breast imaging clinical trials. She founded The Expert Resource to help physicians build trusted, impactful expert witness businesses with confidence and improve patient care. She now advises space biotech, pharma, and health tech companies on how to launch medical research missions and return results to Earth with reduced risk and accelerated patient and physician acceptance.
On May 31, 2025, Dr. Green became the first woman physician commercial astronaut on the 12th Blue Origin human spaceflight. She brings 40 years of dedication to space exploration—she first attended Space Camp in 1986, worked as a Space Camp Crew Trainer, and served as Chair of the Space Camp Alumni Association. She now serves on the board of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation.
At 16, she bicycled across the U.S. to end world hunger; in 2022, she reached the North Pole. Dr. Green completed medical training at Harvard, Yale, and Brown, earning degrees in neuroscience, the history of medicine, and medicine from Brown University. She is also a proud graduate of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. Dr. Green retired from practicing medicine in 2024 as a Fellow of the American College of Radiology and Fellow of the American Association for Women Radiologists, and now teaches, coaches, and speaks full time to help others pursue their highest purpose and personal excellence.
