Iya is a Space Psychologist with background in Clinical Psychology and Cognitive Engineering. She designs both equipment and training programmes to improve the performance of highly trained professionals, including military pilots, astronauts, cosmonauts and surgeons. Iya is a Director of the Centre for Space Medicine, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London. She contributed to the development of the Human Performance Behaviour training programme at the European Astronaut Centre (ESA) for the newly selected group of astronauts that included Tim Peake. In her work, she also collaborates with experts from NASA, the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow and the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Russia. In 2006, Iya conducted the ESA study published in her new book, TOOLKIT FOR A SPACE PSYCHOLOGIST. This is the first study commissioned by ESA in the UK in Human Space Flight since the Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom stopped UK participation in the International Space Station programme. Iya enjoys public engagement. Together with a former astronaut and commander of the International Space Station Chris Hadfield and Dr Kevin Fong, Dr Iya Whiteley was an expert presenter on the BBC Science TV series, ASTRONAUTS: Do you have what it takes? Iya holds a Private Pilot and Rescue Scuba-Diver licences and has competitively skydived internationally.