Today, on 25 October, an anniversary conference “Current problems in radiation biology” started at the International Conference Centre. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Scientific Council on Radiobiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, an anniversary Plenum of the Council was held on the first day of the event.

Director of the Joint Institute RAS Academician Grigory Trubnikov welcomed participants of the Plenum and noted that JINR has been cooperating with specialists of the Council since the early 60s. The JINR Director highlighted that the RAS Scientific Council on Radiobiology takes an active part in the development of the JINR scientific programme in the fields of medicine, biology, physiology, and other relevant spheres. “These are the sciences in which the effect of irradiation on living organisms, biological objects is of both fundamental and practical interest. All this range of research enriches JINR, which is open for everything new and is ready to complement its scientific programme with bright ambitious projects in the field of life sciences,” Grigory Trubnikov said. Presenting the Institute’s projects on these areas to participants, the JINR Director noted the unique set of irradiation sources of the Institute. Nowadays, the JINR scientific infrastructure allows conducting radiobiological studies with all the types of particles in a wide range of energies, which are used for the studies on the subject of the Council as well.

Chairman of the RAS Scientific Council on Radiobiology, LRB JINR Scientific Leader RAS Corresponding Member Evgeny Krasavin chaired the current plenum. Academician Krasavin in his speech presented a historical overview and told participants about outstanding scientists, who were leaders and members of the Council. President of the RAS Radiobiological Society Igor Ushakov made a welcoming speech and passed greetings to the Council’s members from colleagues. This year, the society, just like the Council, celebrates its jubilee – 30 years since the foundation.

A Hero of the Russian Federation Pilot-Cosmonaut Sergei Avdeev was a special guest of the Plenum. A physicist by education, he actively supports research in the field of space radiobiology. “I have many ties with the Joint Institute. A new orbital station will be built in Russia, and the decisions on limitations for astronauts’ staying there will be based on the results obtained at JINR,” Sergei Avdeev said.

There were reports on the creation, history, main stages of the Scientific Council, the role of the Scientific Council in the development of radiobiology. Participants discussed organizational issues of the RAS Scientific Council on Radiobiology and had an excursion to the Laboratory of Radiation Biology JINR. Congratulatory address from the RAS Department of Physiological Sciences was cited at the Plenum.

The scientific and practical conference dedicated to topical issues of radiation biology will continue the programme of the event on 26 – 27 October.