NCRP is a wonderful organization, and all who are affiliated with it should be proud of the work done for our great nation. As I near the end of my five-plus years as President, I want to thank all the members of Council, our Board of Directors, program area committees (PACs), scientific committees (SCs), and administrative committees, as well as all our many partners — federal agencies and other organizations — for the privilege of working with you. As I say every year, NCRP has faced and will continue to face challenges, but the progress and accomplishments achieved together have been substantial. COVID changed some of our ways of operating, and for some things we’ll never go back to the old ways. This means we miss seeing our colleagues as regularly in face-to-face committee meetings, but NCRP can operate, often as effectively and efficiently, by virtual meetings, resulting in not-insignificant cost savings, particularly for our administrative efforts that don’t have direct funding. Thank you all for making the work of NCRP happen so well.
It was particularly nice this year to have our Annual Meeting in person in March, after not being able to meet face-to-face since 2019. The very successful 59th annual meeting on “Integration of Physics, Biology and Epidemiology in Radiation Risk Assessment” was chaired by Eric J. Grant with Vice Chair Emily A. Caffrey, who, with their Program Committee, organized an excellent meeting of cutting-edge presentations and superb speakers. More on that below. And the NCRP staff and 2024 Annual Meeting Program Committee are working hard to finalize arrangements for the upcoming meeting in Bethesda on “Advanced and Small Modular Nuclear Power Reactors.” It will be chaired by William E. Kennedy, Jr. with Willie O. Harris and Kathryn A. Higley as co-chairs. The program looks great (more below), and there will be a few changes to our normal schedule of related activities, e.g., an expanded reception replacing the usual Members Only dinner on Sunday evening, that we’re looking forward to.
Highlights of 2023:
- As always, a high point of the NCRP year was the highly successful Annual Meeting held in March 2023, in person, a distinct pleasure. The Program Committee, headed by Eric J. Grant and Emily A. Caffrey, put together a great program, and it was special to be able to have all our PAC meetings face-to-face and to have lively chats during breaks and receptions. Many thanks go to all involved in the planning and conduct of the very interesting and topical meeting. For any who missed the meeting or want to relive some talks, the recordings can be purchased on the NCRP website.
- We had a good year for new grants. NCRP received new funding in 2023 from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for an exciting 5 y project, extending the ongoing Million Person Study (MPS), to evaluate cognitive impairment and other adverse outcomes in submariners related to the interaction between radiation and multiple stressors in support of risk assessment for astronauts. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) renewed for an additional 5 y of funding the epidemiology studies of DOE workers within the MPS. We also received two awards from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help fund ongoing projects on patient shielding in medical imaging (SC 4-13) and the development of informational webpages on the use and health effects of wireless technology (SC 8-1). We had continuing funding from numerous federal agencies and other organizations to support the various committees of NCRP and the MPS. These include (in alphabetical order) the American Board of Radiology (ABR) Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DOE, FDA, and NASA (more info on funding below).
- In 2023 NCRP published two commentaries and a statement. Descriptions of those NCRP publications are further down in this Message. In addition, seven published papers described work of NCRP or the MPS, and at least 34 presentations about the work of NCRP, including MPS efforts funded through NCRP, were made at various venues by NCRP officers, chairs/members of PACs and SCs and others involved in the projects. In all, it has been a nicely productive year. Many thanks to all who contributed to those activities.
- We currently have five active scientific committee (SCs), including one new SC this year, and a task group (fuller descriptions below).
- In May 2021 and 2022, we held Welcome Webinars for new Council Members since we didn’t have an in-person annual meeting either year; this was a time to welcome our newly-elected members, introduce them to each other and to several senior members of Council, and to explain to them more about NCRP. It was super to be able to do the Welcome Luncheon for new members in person at the 2023 Annual Meeting, and we look forward to doing it again this year, as a lasting activity.
- Another relatively new initiative the last couple years is internship and mentoring efforts. We are continuing to expand that effort to get more junior radiation professionals involved with NCRP.
- The awardee selected to receive the 4th John D. Boice Young Investigator Award at the 2024 Annual Meeting is Dr. Lucas Carter, who works at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Congratulations to Luke!
- It was with very mixed feelings in late August that I informed the Board and then all the NCRP Council that I intended to retire as NCRP President at the time of the Annual Meeting in March 2024. The Board has selected Dr. Kathryn A. Higley as the next, the seventh, NCRP President. I have been very honored to have served as NCRP President and to have had the pleasure of working with so many wonderful people in NCRP and with our great Partners. NCRP and our Partners can look forward to a stellar future under the guidance of President Higley.
NCRP Publications Completed in 2023:
We are grateful to the members of NCRP SCs who spend many, many hours producing high quality NCRP publications. This year we published the following:
- NCRP Commentary No. 32, Evaluation of a Sex-Specific Difference in Lung Cancer Radiation Risk and Approaches for Improving Lung Cancer Radiation Risk Projection (with a Focus on Application to Space Activities), prepared by SC 1-27 (Chair: Michael M. Weil; Co-Chair: David J. Pawel), was published in December 2022. Funded by NASA and DOE, this project examined the risk of lung cancer in populations exposed particularly to chronic (protracted or fractionated) radiation. A main objective was to assess whether there is a sex-specific difference in lung cancer risk from chronic radiation exposure to the lungs such as experienced by astronauts during extended space missions.
- NCRP Statement No. 16, Recommendations for Assessment of Safety, Quality, and Reliability in a Radiation Therapy Practice, prepared by SC 4-10 (Chair: Steven G. Sutlief; Co-Chair: Michael T. Milano), was published in June 2023. With financial support provided by FDA, the ABR Foundation, and the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD), the SC organized a successful workshop of stakeholders to help define the characteristics of a radiation therapy practice that prioritizes safety. The Statement provides recommendations on external assessment (or audit), as well as internal evaluation, of a radiation therapy practice in terms of quality and safety.
- NCRP Commentary No. 33, Recommendations for Stratification of Equipment Use and Radiation Safety Training for Fluoroscopy, prepared by SC 4-12 (Chair: Stephen Balter; Co-Chair: Donald L. Miller), was published in August 2023. Funded, in part, by CRCPD, this Commentary defined an evidence-based, radiation-related classification for fluoroscopically guided procedures based on patient radiation risk; provided radiation-related recommendations for the types of fluoroscopes suitable for each class of procedure; and indicated the extent and content of training that ought to be provided to different categories of facility staff who might enter a room where fluoroscopy is or may be performed.
Committees at Work:
- SC 1-28, Recommendations on Statistical Approaches to Account for Dose Uncertainties in Radiation Epidemiologic Risk Models (Co-Chairs: Jonine L. Bernstein and Harry M. Cullings), was established in 2022 with funding from DOE, to review current methods used to incorporate dose uncertainties into dose-response models; hold a workshop to hear from experts about the interpretation of the results of studies with complex dosimetric assessments and substantial dose uncertainties; and prepare a commentary covering studies of external and internal exposures and provide guidance relative to both shared and unshared uncertainty in dose calculations and the statistical uncertainties therein. The final draft of the commentary has been reviewed by Council and Board members, and the SC has nearly completed addressing the comments received and revising the manuscript. Publication is expected no later than May 2024.
- SC 2-9, Radiation Safety Program Concerns: Transitioning from Operating Facility to Decommissioning Phase (Chair: Willie O. Harris), was approved by the Board in October 2023 to prepare a report on this timely topic as a number of nuclear reactor facilities are transitioning from operation to decommissioning. The SC (PAC 2) is outlining the document and assigning writing. The report will include lessons learned from completed decommissioning projects and recommend considerations/actions and program modifications to ensure the safe, compliant and effective implementation of radiation safety program principles throughout. Report completion is expected within 2 to 3 y.
- SC 4-13, Patient Shielding in Medical Imaging (Chair: Rebecca Milman), started work in September 2022 as a follow-on to the well-received Statement No. 13 on gonadal shielding. The SC goal is to prepare a commentary with updated recommendations, based on scientific evidence, on the use of patient shielding in medical imaging addressing both in-field and out-of-field shielding for various anatomical sites and tissues (e.g., thyroid, breast, gonads), various imaging examinations (e.g., dental x ray, radiography, mammography, computed tomography, and fluoroscopy), and age- and sex-dependent considerations. The SC has had regular virtual meetings and has prepared drafts of most sections of the commentary, making good progress. The effort is funded, in part, by the CDC, the ABR Foundation, and the FDA.
- SC 6-13, Methods and Models for Estimating Organ Doses from Intakes of Radium (Chair: Derek W. Jokisch; Vice Chair: Nicole Martinez), is DOE-funded to prepare a commentary describing new and contemporary approaches for obtaining organ doses following intakes of radium. The work will meet several deliverables associated with the MPS. The SC is meeting regularly to prepare a draft document which should be ready for PAC review in the near future.
- SC 8-1, Informational Webpages on the Use of Wireless Technology and Evidence on Health Effects (Chair: David A. Savitz), funded by CDC, is a new, and exciting, type of activity for NCRP as the goal is to create authoritative, science-based, informational webpages that can serve as a primary resource to which the CDC and other federal health agencies can refer members of the public seeking additional information about the use of wireless technology and its known health effects. Several (virtual) meetings have been held this year, as well as an in-person meeting in December. Writing text is well along, including answers for FAQs and background information, and the subcontractor for this effort has a draft website ready. Draft material should be ready for PAC and subject matter expert review shortly.
- TG 4-9, Task Group for Medical Exposure Assessment in the US Patient Population (Chair: Jennifer G. Elee), is a joint effort with CRCPD (their Task Force H-58) and funded by CDC, to plan follow-up on NCRP Report No. 184, Medical Radiation Exposure of Patients in the United States. The group will determine the feasibility of ongoing collection of data and other information on medical exposures, in particular investing in knowledge transfer of the methodology that was used in Report No. 184. Two workshops have been held in the NCRP office and several virtual meetings, and a draft questionnaire is being developed for CRCPD to send to the states for information gathering.
Other Publications:
Chairs and members of NCRP SCs are encouraged to prepare papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals on the work of their SCs; such resulting articles are listed below. Also listed here are other papers related to NCRP work and papers published on the MPS work done through funding to NCRP.
- Linet MS, Applegate KE, McCollough CH, Bailey JE, Bright C, Bushberg JT, Chanock SJ, Coleman J, Dalal NH, Dauer LT, Davis PB, Eagar RY, Frija G, Held KD, Kachnic LA, Kiess AP, Klein LW, Kosti O, Miller CW, Miller-Thomas MM, Straus C, Vapiwala N, Wieder JS, Yoo DC, Brink JA, Dalrymple JL. 2023. A multimedia strategy to integrate introductory broad-based radiation science education in US medical schools. J Am Coll Radiol. 20(2):251–264.
- Bellamy M, Eckerman K, Dauer L. 2023. Reconstructed lung doses for the million person study cohort of 26,650 Tennessee Eastman Corporation workers employed between 1942 and 1947. J Radiol Prot. 43(1):013503.
- Boice JD Jr, Cohen SS, Mumma MT, Howard SC, Yoder RC, Dauer LT. 2023. Mortality among medical radiation workers in the United States, 1965–2016. Int J Radiat Biol. 99(2):183–207.
- Boice JF Jr, Cohen SS, Mumma MT, Golden AP, Howard SC, Girardi DJ, Ellis ED, Bellamy MB, Dauer LT, Eckerman KF, Leggett RW. 2023 Mortality among Tennessee Eastman Corporation (TEC) uranium processing workers, 1943–2019. Int J Radiat Biol. 99(2):208–228.
- Dauer LT, Walsh L, Mumma MT, Cohen SS, Golden AP, Howard SC, Roemer GE, Boice JD Jr. 2023. Moon, Mars and minds: evaluating Parkinson’s disease mortality among U.S. radiation workers and veterans in the million person study of low-dose effects. Z Med Phys. 1:S0939-3889(23)00084-3. Online ahead of print. [PMID: 37537100]
- Milder CM, Howard SC, Ellis ED, Golden AP, Cohen SS, Mumma MT, Leggett RW, French B, Zablotska LB, Boice JD. 2023. Third mortality follow-up of the Mallinckrodt uranium processing workers, 1942–2019. Int J Radiat Biol. 100(2):161–175.
- Wakeford R, Balonov M, Boice JD Jr, Harrison JD, Niwa O, Preston RJ, Shore RE. 2023. The LNT risk model and radiological protection. J Radiol Prot. 43(4). [PMID: 37800304]
Presentations:
The work of NCRP, including MPS efforts funded through NCRP, is presented at various venues by NCRP officers, chairs/members of PACs and SCs, and others involved in the projects. Presentations in 2023 included:
- Boice JD, Dauer LT. 2023. USTUR – a golden nugget among DOE resources. Virtual presentation at Health Physics Society Winter Workshop on Internal Dosimetry; Feb 7; Corvalis, OR.
- Held KD. 2023.NCRP SC 1-27 (Commentary No. 32) evaluation of a sex-specific difference in lung cancer radiation risk and approaches for improving lung cancer radiation risk assessment. Presentation at NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop; Feb; Galveston, TX.
- Held KD (for Boice JD). 2023. Overview of the Million Person Study and relevance to NRC. Presentation at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Information Conference (RIC); Mar.
- Dauer LT. 2023. U.S. Million Person Study of Low-Level and Low-Dose Rate Health Effects: human health radiation risk assessment in the nuclear power and industrial radiographer cohorts. Presentation at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Information Conference (RIC); Mar.
- Salame-Alfie A. 2023. NCRP Statement 15: respiratory protection for emergency workers responding to a nuclear/radiological incident. Presentation at the 2023 National Radiological Emergency Preparedness Conference; Apr 3.
- Egidi PV. 2023. Overview of NCRP Report 180. Presentation for ICRP Task Group 127; Apr.
- Held, KD. 2023. Radiation chemistry and radiation-induced oxidative stress. Invited lecture in the NASA SHINE (NASA Space Health Impacts for the NASA Experience) course; Apr.
- Held KD. 2023. Radiation protection in cancer-related research, treatment and imaging. John M Yuhas Memorial Lecture, University of Pennsylvania Department of Radiation Oncology; Apr 25; Philadelphia, PA.
- Miller DL. 2023. Training of operators and staff on safe use of fluoroscopy. Presentation at the IAEA International Workshop on Radiation Protection Optimization in Fluoroscopy Guided Interventional Procedures; May; Houston, TX.
- Golden A, et al. 2023. Preliminary results from a mortality study of Rocky Flats Nuclear Workers: a Million Person Study Cohort. Presentation at ISORED 1st Meeting – International Society for Radiation Epidemiology and Dosimetry; May 16.
- Held, KD. 2023. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) and Million Person Study (MPS). Presentation for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division/UK Ministry of Defense RADIAC Summer School; Jun 13.
- Held, KD. 2023. Important radiation biology concepts for radiation protection. Professional Enrichment Program (PEP) lecture, Health Physics Society 68th Annual Meeting; Jul; National Harbor, MD.
- Bushberg JT. 2023. Cognitive dissonance; heuristics and logical fallacies in risk perception: why is it so natural for so many to believe so much that is so wrong? Professional Enrichment Program (PEP) lecture, Health Physics Society 68th Annual Meeting; Jul; National Harbor, MD.
- Salame-Alfie A. 2023. NCRP Statement No. 15: respiratory protection for emergency workers responding to a nuclear/radiological incident, Presentation at the Health Physics Society Annual Meeting; Jul.
- Dauer LT, et al. 2023. Comprehensive dosimetry for the Million Person Study epidemiology, Million Person Study Dosimetry session, Health Physics Society 68th Annual Meeting; Jul; National Harbor, MD.
- Samuels CE, et al. 2023. MPS Hanford Cohort Dosimetry: internal dose reconstruction approaches, Million Person Study Dosimetry session, Health Physics Society 68th Annual Meeting; Jul; National Harbor, MD.
- Bellamy MB. 2023. External radiation doses to the brain in the Hanford Worker Cohort, Million Person Study Dosimetry session, Health Physics Society 68th Annual Meeting; Jul; National Harbor, MD.
- Martinez NE. 2023. Radium dial painter dosimetry: person-centered innovations, Million Person Study Dosimetry session, Health Physics Society 68th Annual Meeting; Jul; National Harbor, MD.
- Cullings HM. 2023. NCRP SC 1-28, recommendations on statistical approaches to account for dose uncertainties in radiation epidemiologic risk models, Million Person Study Dosimetry session, Health Physics Society 68th Annual Meeting; Jul; National Harbor, MD.
- Dauer LT. 2023. The Million Person Study of Low-Level and Low-Dose-Rate Health Effects: importance, information and innovation, Million Person Study Session, Health Physics Society 68th Annual Meeting; Jul; National Harbor, MD.
- Golden AP, et al. 2023. Million Person Study (MPS) Rocky Flats: epidemiologic analyses and comparison to other Department of Energy cohorts, Million Person Study Session, Health Physics Society 68th Annual Meeting; Jul; National Harbor, MD.
- Held, KD. 2023. NCRP and research, Invited presentation at Student/Trainee Workshop, 17th International Congress for Radiation Research; Aug; Montreal, Canada.
- Boice JD, Jr. 2023. Failla Award Lecture: from sanatoriums in Massachusetts to flights to Mars: an adventure in radiation epidemiology, 17th International Congress for Radiation Research; Aug; Montreal, Canada.
- Walsh L. 2023. A Million Person Study radiation related lung cancer mortality risk assessment for three cohorts combined and the challenges arising from the analyses, invited talk at the 17th International Congress for Radiation Research; Aug; Montreal, Canada.
- Dauer L. 2023. The U.S. Million Person Study of Low-Level and Low-Dose-Rate Health Effects: importance, information and innovation, presentation at the 17th International Congress for Radiation Research; Aug; Montreal, Canada.
- Giunta E, et al. 2023. Non-linear cancer survival analysis with big data: colossus software development and testing for radiation epidemiological studies, poster presented at 17th International Congress for Radiation Research; Aug; Montreal, Canada.
- Bushberg JT. 2023. Overview of activities of the National Council on Radiation Protection & Measurements (NCRP), Presentation for the Northern California Chapter of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine & Northern California Chapter of the Health Physics Society Joint Annual Meeting; Oct.
- Balter S, Miller DL. 2023. Review of NCRP Commentary No. 33 procedure classes and training groups, Discussion at Blue Ribbon Panel on Fluoroscopy Safety, American College of Radiology; Oct.
- Held KD. 2023. What is NCRP? (radiation protection in medicine), Recorded talk for ASRT; Oct.
- Dauer L. 2023. U.S. Million Person Study of Low-Level and Low-Dose-Rate Health Effects: importance, information, and innovation, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Population Studies Research Program; Oct 17.
- Seibert JA. 2023. NCRP perspectives, invited talk at the AAPM Quality Measures Roundtable and Stakeholders Perspectives meeting; Oct 20.
- Held KD. 2023. U.S. Million Person Study (MPS) of Low-Level and Low-Dose-Rate Health Effects, invited talk at the RRS Fall Workshop: Where is the Roadmap for a US Low Dose Program?; Oct 27; Bozeman, MT.
- Held KD. 2023. Radiation chemistry; effects of radiation on DNA and chromosomes, Invited Virtual Lecture for Southeast Asian Radiation Oncology Group (SEAROG); Oct 31.
- Held KD. 2023. Dose response relationships in vitro and in vivo, Invited Virtual Lecture for Southeast Asian Radiation Oncology Group (SEAROG); Nov 28.
- Held KD. 2023. Important radiation biology concepts for radiologic technologists, Recorded talk for ASRT; Dec.
- Dauer L, Boice JD Jr. 2023. MPS with a Focus on NRC cohorts (nuclear power plant workers, industrial radiographers), invited virtual talk for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Health Physics Community Seminar; Dec 12.
- Held KD. 2023. Modification of radiation response: biological, chemical, physical, Invited Virtual Lecture for Southeast Asian Radiation Oncology Group (SEAROG); Dec 19.
- Dauer L. 2023. MPS: status and innovations, American Academy of Health Physics (AAHP) Virtual CE Course; Dec 21.
If anyone knows of any publications or presentations that I’ve missed, please let me know.
Funding Support Summary:
In 2023, NCRP received new funding from NASA to expand the MPS into broader epidemiology studies, using data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to assess incidence, in addition to work on mortality, of neurocognitive dysfunctions, including Parkinson’s Disease, in submariners exposed to radiation and multiple other stressors, as surrogate for the multiple stressors experienced by astronauts on long duration missions. We also received from DOE a renewal for an additional 5 y of epidemiology studies of DOE radiation workers and U.S. atomic veterans for radiation risk assessment. Both those projects are part of the ongoing MPS lead by Drs. John D. Boice, Jr. and Lawrence T. Dauer. FDA provided new support to help fund the NCRP work of SC 4-13 on patient shielding in medical imaging and the work of SC 8-1 to provide evidence-based information on a website about wireless technology and health effects. In 2023, we continued with grants and contracts funded by a number of sources including (active SCs during 2023 supported by each in parentheses):
- CDC (SC 4-13, SC 8-1, and TG 4-9)
- DOE (SC 1-28, SC 6-13 and MPS)
- FDA (SC 4-10, 4-13, and 8-1)
- NASA (MPS)
We are grateful for the significant monetary and programmatic support from these federal agencies and other organizations and thank them for their continued interest in and funding of NCRP and our programs. This support is vital to our ability to provide scientific service to the nation as is NCRP’s mission. We also continue to have discussions with these agencies and organizations and others about additional opportunities for NCRP to assist them in their missions.
Annual Meetings:
The 59th NCRP Annual Meeting was held in person in Bethesda on March 27–28, 2023, on the topic of “Integration of Physics, Biology and Epidemiology in Radiation Risk Assessment.” The Program Committee, chaired by Eric J. Grant with Vice Chair Emily A. Caffrey, planned a series of cutting-edge talks pointing to an exciting future for radiation protection based on integrating science from a broad realm of disciplines. The theme was emphasized by the highly regarded speakers including the 46th Lauriston Taylor Lecturer, Martha S. Linet, speaking on “Cancer Risks and Public Health Issues Across the Radiation Frequency Spectrum: The Long and the Short of It,” the 19th Annual Sinclair Keynote Address by Michael M. Weil discussing “What do Risk Modelers Want? What Can Biologists Provide?,” and the 6th Tenforde Topical Lecture by Susanne M. Rafelski on “Towards Evaluating Cell Damage via Microscopy Imaging and Analysis of Cell Organization.” It was a thought-provoking meeting with super presentations and was so great to be able to interact once again with all our colleagues in person.
The 2024 Annual Meeting, our 60th, will be on “Advanced and Small Modular Nuclear Power Reactors” and will be held March 25–26, 2024. The Program Committee, chaired by William E. Kennedy, Jr. with co-chairs Willie O. Harris and Kathryn A. Higley, has lined up a top-notch slate of speakers to discuss advanced and small modular reactor technology and critical issues. We are particularly honored to have a superb line-up of named speakers including: Dr. Richard A. Meserve, former Chair of NRC and former President of the Carnegie Institution for Science, to present the 47th Lauriston Taylor Lecture on “Lessons from the Fukushima Daiichi Accident”; Dr. Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary, Office of Nuclear Energy, DOE, who will give the 20th Warren K. Sinclair Keynote Address entitled “U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy Advanced Reactor Research, Design, Development and Demonstration”; and NRC Chair Christopher T. Hanson who has been selected to give the 7th Thomas S. Tenforde Topical Lecture discussing “Embracing Risk-Informed Thinking at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.” The meeting promises to be a stimulating discussion of how nuclear energy can play an important role as an energy source to replace carbon fuels.
The Board has selected the topic for the 2025 annual meeting to be radiation epidemiology with emphasis on the MPS (exact title to be determined). John D. Boice, Jr. and Lawrence T. Dauer will be Co-Chairs. They are already hard at work on the program for the meeting. Whether the meeting will be in person or virtual will be a future decision, based on finances.
Program Area Committee Work:
We had a number of changes in the PACs this year. On the leadership front, Julie M. Sullivan has been added as Co-Chair of PAC 3; Lawrence T. Dauer has stepped down as PAC 4 Co-Chair and has been replaced by Rebecca Milman; and PAC 6 has new Chair Wesley E. Bolch and Co-Chair Jeffrey J. Whicker, replacing long-time Chair Steven L. Simon who we thank for his service in that role. There have also been several new members added to PACs 1 and 7, one transfer from PAC 3 to PAC 1, and PAC 6 has added a “bumper crop” of new members. We welcome all these great additions.
The PACs met in Bethesda on “PAC Sunday” in March and some have continued to meet virtually during the year to discuss PAC business and have scientific presentations and discussions. Several PACs have developed draft proposals that need funding to be moved forward — so many great ideas and needs but such limited resources! We will continue to seek funding sources for these worthy proposals from PACs. The PACs are all eagerly planning their in-person meetings for March 2024 at the Annual Meeting. I continue to meet several times a year with the PAC chairs and find the sessions very helpful as they provide some great ideas for new activities for NCRP and important insight into ongoings in the radiation community and potential funding discussions. Much of the valuable work done by the PACs involves their oversight of and assistance to NCRP scientific committees, described above.
Finances:
Our biggest challenge continues to be the need to build long-term financial stability for the NCRP. There are several items to note with regards to our financial status and efforts:
- As shown in the financial report, we finished 2022 with a small net operational financial gain. In 2023 we had a modest operational gain of revenue over expenses and increases in investments, which combined to give a positive change in NCRP’s assets of about $258,000. We currently predict that 2024 will result in a small financial gain, but there are many uncertainties in the grant funding picture, so it will be critical for new President Higley to continue discussions with potential funding agencies and other organizations, seek out opportunities for expanding funded activities, and, in consultation with the Budget and Finance Committee, to monitor finances closely throughout the coming year.
- Implementation of a modest registration fee for the annual meeting in 2022 and 2023 helped to offset meeting expenses; the fee and donations for the meeting brought in a little over $25,000 in 2023. The Board continues to discuss ways to hold the annual meeting, a substantial expense when meetings are in person, when there is limited income to off-set the expenses. One consideration is to alternate in-person and virtual annual meetings; more information will come on that possibility in the future.
- Our receipt of several new grants and the renewal of the DOE award, discussed above, helped with the 2023 finances, as did not having in-person meetings of some committees and our substantially decreased rent due to our office move in late 2022. So, we did not have to use the LMA (Loan Management Account) to cover the annual meeting in 2023, and we are hopeful the same will be true in 2024. However, the value of our net assets has only increased slightly in recent years and is still well below levels some years back.
- We thank all the Council members and others who have made donations to NCRP directly or took advantage of the Give with Bing® initiative, and we encourage you to remember NCRP with a charitable contribution or as a small percentage beneficiary of an IRA or life insurance policy. Your ideas regarding potential fundraising opportunities are welcome! We acknowledge the Contributors and Corporate Sponsors, who are listed later in this Annual Report. We greatly value their support, both financial and programmatic.
Million Person Study:
A major component of current NCRP activities continues to be the Million Person Study (MPS), which is coordinated through and is a critical source of income for NCRP (grants from DOE and NASA in 2023). NCRP Past President John D. Boice, Jr., who has so ably led and built this vital epidemiology effort for years, continues to direct the effort, as NCRP Director of Science, with substantial leadership also from Lawrence T. Dauer, now MPS Scientific Coordinator. The MPS is designed to study the range of health effects from prolonged radiation exposures in healthy American workers and veterans who are more representative of today’s population than are the Japanese atomic-bomb survivors, exposed briefly to radiation in 1945, the population typically used as the epidemiological basis for many evaluations of radiation risk. The MPS will increase scientific understanding that can improve guidelines and guidance to protect workers and members of the public. Major activities of the MPS in 2023 included:
- receipt in September of a new award from NASA to undertake an exciting expansion of the project to now use data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to evaluate neurological and cognitive outcomes in submariners exposed not just to radiation but to multiple stressors such as sleep disruption or isolation (the submariners are an excellent surrogate for astronauts on long-duration missions outside Earth’s orbit);
- subgroups working on dosimetry and epidemiology of health effects for various study cohorts continue regular biweekly meetings (virtual) as they pursue the project goals and prepare publications on the findings;
- John, Larry and numerous others involved in the MPS participated in several workshops of the entire MPS team and subgroups;
- numerous papers were published related to the MPS in 2023 (listed above); and
- multiple presentations were given by John, Larry, me and others (listed above).
Partnerships:
In addition to our valuable Partnerships with funding agencies, NCRP continues numerous active and fruitful interactions with multiple national and international organizations that are listed on the NCRP website. We value review comments from other organizations like the American Association of Physicists in Medicine on our draft documents. Additionally, NCRP officers serve on advisory committees and boards and review panels of other groups (e.g., Image Gently®, ABR, National Institutes of Health, International Radiation Protection Association); NCRP organizes sessions and provides members to serve as speakers and session chairs at meetings of other entities (e.g., Health Physics Society, Radiation Research Society); and NCRP officers and Board/SC members provide NCRP-related educational activities and material for other organizations (e.g., CDC, NASA, Vanderbilt, Harvard, University of California Davis, University of Maryland). These activities are critical to NCRP’s mission and help “spread the word” about NCRP and our activities. Don’t hesitate to let us know if you can recommend other opportunities for NCRP partnerships, formal or informal, and we’re always available to give presentations to other groups who are interested in NCRP’s work.
Final Thoughts:
NCRP leadership is committed to encouraging more junior professionals in the radiation sciences and more diversity in our SCs, PACs, at our meetings, and as Council members. We strive to add diversity to our ranks by engaging qualified junior investigators, women, and minorities in our meetings and activities. We hope that our new and continuing efforts in internships and mentoring will help with that goal and look forward to increasing the efforts. Please encourage your junior and minority colleagues to become involved with NCRP and let us know of talented individuals that we should include in our activities.
It is with great sadness that I report the passing of four Distinguished Emeritus Members in 2023.
Paul M. DeLuca, Jr., April 22, 1944 – October 30, 2023, was the Board of Visitors Chair, Emeritus Professor, and Emeritus Provost in the Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine and Public Health. Dr. DeLuca was first elected to the NCRP Council in 1996 and became a Distinguished Emeritus Member in 2014. He served on the NCRP Board of Directors from 2008 to 2014 and was Chair of the Nominating Committee from 2004 to 2008 after serving as a member from 2002 to 2003. Dr. DeLuca was a member of the 2010 Annual Meeting Program Committee and served as a Session Chair and Speaker the same year. He was a member of NCRP Program Area Committee 6 on Radiation Measurements and Dosimetry from 1999 to 2012. |
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Naomi H. Harley, August 4, 1932 – June 11, 2023, was a Research Professor, in the Department of Environmental Medicine, at the NYU School of Medicine. Dr. Harley was a member of NCRP from 1982 to 2000 and was elected a Distinguished Emeritus Member in 2000. She chaired several scientific committees: (SC) 57-4 which published Evaluation of Occupational and Environmental Exposures to Radon and Radon Daughters in the United States (NCRP Report No. 78); SC 61, Measurement of Radon and Radon Daughters in Air (NCRP Report No. 97); and SC 85, Risk of Lung Cancer from Radon. She also co-wrote Commentary No. 6, Radon Exposure of the U.S. Population–Status of the Problem. She was a member of SC 73 (Report No. 77, Exposures from the Uranium Series with Emphasis on Radon and Its Daughters) and Advisory Committee 93 on Radiation Measurement and Dosimetry. Dr. Harley delivered the Lauriston S. Taylor Lecture No. 23 entitled “Back to Background: Natural Radiation and Radioactivity Exposed” in 1999. She chaired the 1988 Annual Meeting Program Committee on “Radon” and was member of the 2001 Program Committee where she also made a presentation on “Laboratory Analyses: Environmental and Biological Measurements.” |
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Bernd Kahn, August 16, 1928 – July 13, 2023, was associate director, Environmental Radiation Laboratory, Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory, Georgia Tech Research Institute, and professor emeritus, Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Program, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Kahn was a member of NCRP from 1979 to 1997 and was elected a Distinguished Emeritus Member in 1997. He chaired scientific committees: (SC) 64-5 which published Public Radiation Exposure from Nuclear Power Generation in the United States (NCRP Report No. 92) and SC 64-22, Design of Effective Radiological Effluent Monitoring and Environmental Surveillance Programs (NCRP Report No. 169). He was a member of several NCRP scientific committees including SC 18A (Report No. 58, A Handbook of Radioactivity Measurements Procedures), SC 30 (Report No. 60, Physical, Chemical, and Biological Properties of Radiocerium Relevant to Radiation Protection Guidelines), SC 35 (Report No. 50, Environmental Radiation Measurements), SC 38 (Waste Disposal), SC 41 (Radiation Resulting from Nuclear Power Generation), SC 63-1 (Public Knowledge), SC 64 (Environmental Issues), and SC 64-15 (Critique of the Publication “Living Without Landfills”). Dr Kahn was a member of the 1982, 1983 and 2001 Annual Meeting Program Committees on “Radiation Protection and New Medical Diagnostic Approaches,” “Environmental Radioactivity,” and “Fallout from Atmospheric Nuclear Tests—Impact on Science and Society,” respectively. |
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Richard E. Toohey, September 2, 1945 – November 13, 2023, was a Consulting Health Physicist with M.H. Chew and Associates. Dr. Toohey was first elected to the NCRP Council in 2006 and became a Distinguished Emeritus Member in 2018. He served on the Board of Directors (2010 to 2016), and on the Budget and Finance Committee (2006 to 2015) —his financial acuity led to his much appreciated service as Chair (2007 to 2015). Dr. Toohey was Chair of the 2012 Annual Meeting Program Committee, and Co-Chair in 2016. Dr. Toohey was the 2016 Warren K. Sinclair Keynote Speaker and spoke on “WARP: Where Are the Radiation Professionals?.” He was Co-Chair of Council Committee 2 (CC 2) on Meeting the Needs of the Nation for Radiation Protection. During his tenure with NCRP, he was Co-Chair of Scientific Committee (SC) 6-9; Staff Consultant for the Million Person Study; and a Member of SC 6-3, SC 6-4, SC 6-9, SC 57-17, and WARP. He was advisor to the NCRP’s Fifth President (John D. Boice, Jr.) from 2012 to 2018. |
As you can see from this narrative, 2023 was a productive year for NCRP. I have been proud of our accomplishments during my time as President, and I look forward to another productive year for NCRP in 2024 and into the exciting future under our new President. Despite challenges, there are plentiful opportunities, and it will be wonderful to see NCRP continue to engage with the many terrific scientific and professional colleagues and partnering organizations who work so hard to support NCRP in our mission to serve our great nation.
Many thanks to the hard-working NCRP staff, Board of Directors, and Council, PAC, and scientific committee members for assistance in all NCRP endeavors. Special thanks to Laura Atwell, John Boice, Jerry Bushberg, and Larry Dauer for all they have done for NCRP over many productive years and for their dedication and tireless support and sage advice to me. The strong team that you all make has been a joy to be a part of. I thank you for the honor of having been the President of NCRP.
Kathryn D. Held, President