Research Symposium on Radiation and Cancer Honors Dr. Elaine Ron | NCI Cancer Bulletin for March 22, 2011 - National Cancer Institute

Research Symposium on Radiation and Cancer Honors Dr. Elaine Ron

Dr. Elaine Ron

On March 9, NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG) held a symposium entitled Research Strategies in Radiation and Cancer to honor Dr. Elaine Ron, a senior investigator in DCEG and a widely respected expert in the field of radiation epidemiology. Dr. Ron died of cancer on November 20, 2010. (See the In Memoriam note featured in the November 30 NCI Cancer Bulletin.)

A group of Dr. Ron’s collaborators and peers reflected on her important contributions to radiation epidemiology studies and emphasized her successful research strategies. Included were the Life Span Study, which followed survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, extensive collaborations with Ukrainian and Belarusian scientists tracking the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, a landmark pooled analysis examining radiation exposure and the risk of thyroid cancer, and an ongoing investigation evaluating cancer risk following childhood exposure to computed tomography scans.

Former and current DCEG research fellows spoke about the dedicated mentoring Dr. Ron provided throughout her career, which has greatly influenced a new generation of radiation epidemiologists.

Finally, DCEG investigators delivered presentations on “Evolving Research Strategies in Radiation,” which highlighted new directions in radiation epidemiology studies that are likely to accelerate progress in the field. Dr. Christopher Wild, director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer—where Dr. Ron served on the Scientific Council—spoke about “Two-Way Translational Research: From Basic Science to Both the Clinic and the Population,” with an emphasis on radiation-exposed populations.

“Elaine was an enormously gifted epidemiologist whose groundbreaking research has contributed so much to a better understanding of the risks of cancer associated with a wide variety of exposures to ionizing radiation,” said Dr. Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr., director of DCEG.

NCI Cancer Bulletin for March 22, 2011 - National Cancer Institute