Synergies resulting from a systems biology approach: integrating radiation epidemiology and radiobiology to optimize protection of the public after exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation

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Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Nicholas Dainiak, MD, FACP, is Medical and Technical Director, Radiation Assistance Center and Training Site (REAC/TS), Oak Ridge, TN, and Professor, Adjunct Faculty, Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. He previously served as Professor of Medicine and Chair, Department of Medicine, Yale New Haven Health – Bridgeport for 18 years. He has published over 300 original papers, book chapters, reviews and abstracts, and edited 7 books in hematopoietic stem cell biology and radiation biology.

Ludwig E. Feinendegen, MD, University of Cologne, Germany, worked at Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY, USA, at Euratom in Brussels, Belgium, and Institute du Radium, Paris, France, before becoming Full Professor, Nuclear Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, and Research Center Juelich Germany. As Professor Emeritus, he was program manager, US Department of Energy, and then Fogarty Scholar at the US National Institutes of Health, remaining Guest Scientist, Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Dr. Randall N. Hyer is a leading risk and crisis communication expert with over 25 years’ practical experience in managing high-profile emergencies, organizational changes, and emotionally-charged crises. He has been at the front line of Zika, Ebola, bird flu, product failures, political campaigns, mergers, and nuclear emergencies. He has been a medical officer at the World Health Organization, and is Co-Founder/Principal, CrisisCommunication.net and Deputy Director, Center for Risk Communication.

Paul A. Locke is Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He holds doctoral and master’s degrees in environmental health studies, and a law degree. At Hopkins, Dr. Locke leads an integrated program on evidence-based, research-to-practice solutions for pressing environmental health problems. His research spans science and law, including evaluation of predictivity of in vitro models for hepatocarcinogenesis, personalized cancer risk assessments for space radiation exposures, and low dose radiation policy and decision-making.

Alan E. Waltar, PhD, is Past President and Fellow of the American Nuclear Society, Retired Professor and Chair, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Texas A&M University, and Retired Director of Nuclear Energy, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He has written four books, two textbooks on fast reactors and two non-technical radiation books for the general public. He helped found the Summer Institute for the World Nuclear University and has led People-to-People nuclear delegations to China and India.