About Us
Our mission is to disseminate information about radiation protection on the consensus of leading scientific thinking.
Brief History Of Ncrp
Advisory Committee on X-Ray and Radium Protection
NCRP was originally established to represent all of the national radiological organizations in the United States on a collective, scientific basis and to serve, in essence, as the United States national analog of the International X-Ray and Radium Protection Committee which was created in July 1928 under the auspices of the Second International Congress of Radiology and, subsequently, evolved into the International Commission on Radiological Protection. NCRP originally operated as an informal association of scientists seeking to make available information and recommendations on radiation protection and measurements. More than 30 major reports were produced during the early period of the NCRP’s history including the first recommendation specifying a maximum permissible level of exposure.
VAST INCREASE IN THE USE OF RADIATION
NCRP’s program expanded significantly to meet the new needs and, subsequently, it was recognized that continuation of the informal mode of operation was inappropriate.
NCRP CHARTERED BY U.S. CONGRESS
NCRP was reorganized and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1964 as the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.
MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION COPIES OF NCRP PUBLICATIONS DISTRIBUTED
The work of NCRP has a significant impact on almost all activities in the United States which utilize or create radiation. The recommendations of the Council are important to radiation users — medical, industrial and governmental; to the general public; and to other state, national and international groups concerned with radiation matters.
The recommendations promulgated by the Council provide the scientific basis for radiation protection efforts throughout the country. Individuals and industrial organizations employing radiation sources turn to these recommendations to be sure that their equipment and practices embody the latest concepts of protection.
Who We Are
Biography Cards-
David A Savitz
Ph.D
Meet Dr Savitz
One of the major themes of Dr. Savitz’ career has been furthering the understanding of the health effects of nonionizing radiation, including telecommunication technology. His epidemiologic research has helped to bring clarity to the complex and important questions of how to maintain public safety while using technologies that we all enjoy and depend on.
Since the 1980s, Dr. Savitz has been engaged in conducting and evaluating scientific research on the potential health effects of nonionizing radiation, beginning with a study of power lines and childhood cancer. Later research assessed electric and magnetic field exposure among workers in the electric utility industry and a range of other forms of exposure and health outcomes. In addition to his position as Professor of Epidemiology at Brown University, and Professor Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatrics, Dr. Savitz has served on multiple committees concerned both with power frequency fields and radiofrequency fields from cell phone communication and who provide reviews and interpretation of the evidence that have helped to drive policy to protect the public.
Dr. Savitz believes that epidemiology [GB1] has unique value in addressing questions of societal concern, including the health implications of technology. While there are multiple scientific strategies needed to assess and monitor the possible impact of exposures from technologies such as cell phones and WiFi, the direct answer to the question of whether those with greater exposure have a different health experience than those with less exposure is of fundamental importance. And while public debates about technology are normal and appropriate, better scientific information can help individuals and policy makers to make informed decisions.
“I welcome the opportunity to communicate scientific understanding to the general public, viewing that as an obligation given that it is the public that funds and participates in our research, and ultimately will incur the risks or benefits from the decisions that follow.” - Dr. David Savitz
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Martin Röösli
Ph.D
Meet Dr Röösli
Martin Röösli received a M.Sc. degree in Environmental Science in from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETHZ) in 1997 and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of Basel in 2001. To date he is Associate Professor for Environmental Epidemiology at the Swiss Tropical- and Public Health Institute in Basel and leads the Environmental Exposures and Health Unit.
His research focuses on various environmental health topics with a focus on non-ionizing radiation exposure and health risk assessment. In the field of EMF he has led or was collaborator in numerous studies such as ARIMMORA (Advanced Research on Interaction Mechanisms of electromagnetic exposures with Organisms for Risk Assessment), CEFALO (An international case-control study on brain tumours in children and adolescents), QUALIFEX (Radio frequency electromagnetic field exposure and health related quality of life: Prospective cohort study) and GERoNiMO (Generalised EMF Research using Novel Methods – an integrated approach: from research to risk - assessment and support to risk management).
Currently, his research group is involved in the EU funded projects ETAIN (https://www.etainproject.eu/) and GOLIAT (https://projectgoliat.eu/) as well as the Swiss monitoring project SwissNIS.
He has served as advisor to a number of national and international public advisory and research steering groups concerning the potential health effects of exposure to nonionizing radiation, including the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Currently, he is the chair of the Swiss expert group BERENIS (Swiss Expert Group on Non-Ionising Radiation), and member of ICNIRP (International Commission for Non-ionizing Radiation Protection), of the German Radiation Protection Commission (Non-ionizing Radiation (A6) and working group 5G (A630)) and the Independent Expert Group of the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority. He was member of the Scientific Council of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association EBEA from 2009 to 2017.
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Martha S. Linet
M.D., MPH
Meet Dr Linet
During a 40-year career as a cancer epidemiologist, Martha S. Linet, MD, MPH conducted large studies of residential power-frequency magnetic field exposures and risk of childhood leukemia (1990-2002) and use of cell phones and associated incidence trends and risks of adult brain tumors (1993-2021). For many years Dr. Linet was the scientific expert and senior author working with communications staff at the National Cancer Institute on public fact sheets on use of cell phones and cancer risks and electromagnetic fields and cancer.
Billions of people around the globe rely on cellular technology for business, personal, social media, and emergency response communication. One startling observation by Dr. Linet during a 2011 trip was the large numbers of different brands and types of cell phones sold in marketplaces and widely used throughout The Gambia in West Africa and in Morocco. Cell phone base stations and towers can be found throughout the world with rapid expansion of 5G towers. Public health and experimental biology professionals continue to monitor and conduct studies to evaluate possible risks of any adverse health effects from cell phones and/or base stations and towers. Findings from evidenced-based and high-quality scientific research should be clearly communicated along with engineering and other technical modifications to ensure the safety of individual and community exposures to wireless technology.
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Gregory D. Durgin
Ph.D
Meet Dr Durgin
Professor Durgin joined the faculty of Georgia Tech's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in Fall 2003 where he serves as a professor. He received the BSEE (96), MSEE (98), and PhD (00) degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In 2001 he was awarded the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Post-doctoral Fellowship and spent one year as a visiting researcher with Morinaga Laboratory at Osaka University. He has received best paper awards for articles coauthored in the IEEE Transactions on Communications (1998 Stephen O. Rice prize), IEEE Microwave Magazine (2014), and IEEE RFID Conference (2016, 2018, 2019) as well as the 3rd place 2020 Nokia Bell Labs Prize for “Hyper-RFID: a Revolution for The Future of RFID.”
Prof. Durgin authored Space-Time Wireless Channels (2002), the first textbook in the field of space-time channel modeling which has influenced multiple generations of commercial cellular technologies. Prof. Durgin founded the Propagation Group (http://www.propagation.gatech.edu) at Georgia Tech, a research group that studies radiolocation, radio measurement, RFID-related technology, and applied electromagnetics.
He is a winner of the NSF CAREER award as well as numerous teaching awards, including the Class of 1940 Howard Ector Outstanding Classroom Teacher Award at Georgia Tech (2007). He has served on the editorial staff for IEEE RFID Virtual Journal, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, and IEEE Journal on RFID. He also serves as President Elect for the IEEE Council of RFID (CRFID).
He served as an IEEE CRFID Distinguished Lecturer (2015-2018), IEEE CRFID VP of Conferences (2020-2021), and as general/executive chair of many IEEE conferences. His educational channel #profdurgin on YouTube instructs viewers on engineering electromagnetics and RFID-related topics, having drawn over 10,000 subscribers and nearly 1 million views. He is a frequent consultant to industry, advising numerous multinational corporations on wireless technology.
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Manuela Buonanno
Ph.D
Meet Dr Buonanno
Dr. Buonanno is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Columbia University. Her work focuses on the biological effects of exposure to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and the dissemination of such knowledge to a broader audience of radiation scientists and to the general public.
Dr. Buonanno’s expertise in the Radiological Sciences was established during her Ph.D. at Rutgers University, NJ, where she investigated under a NASA-funded study the influence of quality and dose of radiation in the induction of non-targeted effects induced by space radiation in mammalian cells, and their impact on human health risks. At Columbia University she extended those studies in vivo by investigating the biological effects induced by microbeam radiation in small animal models.
Dr. Buonanno’s current studies investigate the antimicrobial properties of far-ultraviolet C (far-UVC, 200-230 nm) to prevent surgical site infections, and for room decontamination of airborne pathogens including coronaviruses. Earlier studies showed that far-UVC inactivates bacteria and viruses without apparent harm to human skin and eyes. Therefore, far-UVC could potentially be used for its anti-microbial properties to continuously disinfect indoor public spaces when humans are present.
During her career Dr. Buonanno has always had the privilege to work in multi-disciplinary teams and environments, thus she values the importance of effective communication and exchange of knowledge among team members as well as to the general public. Joining the efforts of the NCRP committee to provide a hub for accurate scientific information on the health effects of nonionizing radiation perfectly aligns with Dr. Buonanno’s aspiration to disseminate scientific knowledge to audiences with various scientific backgrounds. Dr. Buonanno has curated and edited scientific podcasts and vodcasts related to the radiation sciences for many years and developed and taught radiation biology courses.
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Vijayalaxmi
Ph.D
Meet Dr. Vijayalaxmi
There has been growing concern among the general public regarding the potential health hazards, especially carcinogenesis, from exposure to non-ionizing radiofrequency fields (RF) emitted from wireless communication devices. The focus of my research has always been on the genetic damage. From 1976-1994, my research was on animal and human cells exposed to ionizing radiation. This knowledge helped me to transit and navigate non-ionizing radiofrequency fields.
The possible effects of RF exposure on the genetic material (DNA) are very important. Damage in the DNA of somatic cells can lead to carcinogenesis or cell death. Changes in the DNA of germ cells can lead to mutations that can be transmitted to subsequent generations.
In 2010, I have been invited by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a member of ‘expert’ group to evaluate the carcinogenic risks to humans from RF exposure. The final IARC report is published in 2013 (International Agency on Research on Cancer. Non-ionizing radiation, Part 2: Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. Monograph Series. Volume 102, 2013. ISBN 9789283213253.).
Subsequently, in 2012, I was invited by the World Health organization (WHO) to review the literature on RF and genetic damage. Systematic reviews are now in progress to set up Environmental Health Criteria (EHC) for RF exposure. In my research, a battery of 3 different tests have been used to assess the extent of genetic damage in animal and human cells exposed in vitro and in vivo to various frequencies of RF.
Overall, it is important to include ‘quality control’ measures so that the resulting data are useful nationally and internationally in evaluating the potential health risks from RF exposure (Vijayalaxmi and Prihoda, Radiation Research, 191, 20-30, 2019.).With respect to the latest 5G wireless technology, the scientific evidence for genetic damage is very limited. More reliable studies are needed (Foster and Vijayalaxmi. Frontiers in communications and networks, 2: 721925, 2021.) with ‘carrot and stick’ approach (Vijayalaxmi and Foster. Radiation Research, 196, 417-422, 2021.).
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Michael D. O'Hara
Ph.D
Meet Dr O'Hara
Dr. O’Hara has studied the impact of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation on biological systems since the early 1980’s. Overall, he has been interested in the impact of temperature elevation on normal and malignant tissues and how temperature elevation can be used to treat cancer. He has used simple methods like water bath heating as well as more complex heating methods like microwave irradiation to raise the temperature of cells, normal tissues and tumors.
Dr. O’Hara has studied the impact of temperature elevation on a variety of cultured mouse and human cell models, normal tissues like skin, muscle and bone marrow stem and progenitor cells and a variety of mouse and human cancers. He became interested in the diagnostic uses of radiofrequency radiation during magnetic resonance imaging when he moved from academic research to industrial research. As an FDA scientist and Deputy Division Director of a radiation regulatory division that regulates ionizing and non-ionizing radiation emitting medical devices and consumer products, he continues to follow his interest in the diagnostic and therapeutic uses of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. The public interest in potential biological effects of radiofrequency-based consumer products is of great interest to Dr. O’Hara. He feels that the published literature needs evaluation to fully determine the safety of non-ionizing radiating consumer products and medical devices.
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Donald L. Miller
M.D., FSIR FACR
Meet Dr Miller
Dr. Donald L. Miller is the Chief Medical Officer for the Office of Radiological Health at FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. He earned a B.A. from Yale University and an M.D. from New York University, and completed a residency in diagnostic radiology and a fellowship in interventional radiology at New York University Medical Center. He is board certified in Diagnostic Radiology and Vascular and Interventional Radiology. Prior to joining FDA, he practiced interventional radiology for three decades at the National Institutes of Health and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.
Dr. Miller was elected to NCRP in 2006. He currently serves on the Board of Directors and as Chair of Program Area Committee 4 (Radiation Protection in Medicine). He is an author of NCRP Reports 168, 172, 177, 180, 184, and 185, and Statements 11 and 13. He served on International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Committee 3 (Protection in Medicine) as a member from 2010 to 2013, and as vice-chair from 2013 to 2017. He is an author of ICRP Publications 117, 120, 135, and 139. He was Vice-Chair for the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration’s Federal Guidance Report No. 14, is a consultant to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and is a member of the World Health Organization’s Core Group of Experts on radiation protection of patients and staff.
Dr. Miller was Professor of Radiology at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD from 1993 to 2012. he has served as Associate Editor of Radiology and the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology and is an author of more than 200 papers in peer-reviewed journals and more than 40 book chapters and reports. He is a Fellow of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) and the American College of Radiology (ACR), and an Honorary Member of both the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and the International Organization for Medical Physics. He chaired SIR’s Safety and Health Committee from 1999 to 2011 and the ACR Guidelines Interventional Committee from 2008 to 2012. His research interests have centered on radiation protection in medicine.