Bethesda, Md., February 22, 2010—A bronze plaque identifying the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute as a nuclear historic landmark will be installed at the Institute in Bethesda, Md., in a ceremony on February 24 at 10 a.m. The plaque, awarded by the American Nuclear Society (ANS), recognizes the Institute as the United States’ primary source of medical nuclear and radiological research, preparedness, and training. The presentation by ANS Executive Director Jack Tuohy will be followed by a tour of the AFRRI facility.

“The plaque is a tribute to 50 years of dedicated work by the Institute’s military and civilian employees,” said AFRRI Director COL Patricia K. Lillis-Hearne, MC, USA. “In addition to the outstanding accomplishments of the scientists, medical professionals, managers, and support staffs through the years, credit goes to the forward-thinking federal military and civilian officials who in the late 1950s recognized the need for continuing biomedical research into the effects of ionizing radiation, independent of the 1958 nuclear weapons testing moratorium.”

Photo: D. Morse (AFRRI)

The AFRRI facility houses the nation's sole remaining research reactor dedicated to radiobiology studies. The characteristic blue glow of the Cherenkov radiation is caused by electrons decelerating within the reactor pool.

The award nomination described the Institute’s ever-evolving mission beginning with the groundbreaking in 1960 as a research facility focused on understanding and counteracting the acute effects of ionizing radiation; continuing through the 1990s with expansion into nuclear weapon biological effects, trauma, and toxicology as well as nonionizing radiation effects and cancer markers; and following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that generated interest in radiation protectants and treatments as well as biodosimetry standards and tools.

The ANS, a nonprofit, international, scientific and educational organization, has recognized some 70 sites or facilities that have been in operation for at least 20 years and where outstanding physical accomplishments were instrumental in the development and implementation of nuclear technology and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Its membership encompasses some 11,000 engineers, scientists, administrators, and educators from more than 1,600 corporations, educational institutions, and government agencies.

AFRRI shares its research findings with the scientific community through peer-reviewed journals, provides medical training for emergency responders and medical professionals through its Medical Effects of Ionizing Radiation Course, and activates its Medical Radiobiology Advisory Team to provide advice in radiological crises. Its Mark-F TRIGA research reactor, cobalt-60 facility, and cobalt-60 low-level irradiation facility are licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The Institute, on the grounds of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, is part of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.