ANS Applauds Low-Dose Radiation Research Program

Today, the House Appropriations Committee approved up to $10 million in funding to re initiate the low-dose radiation research program within the U.S. Department of Energy’s office of science. This funding, if approved by the full Congress, would allow U.S. scientists to re initiate important research in epidemiology and cellular biology to better understand the risks and benefits of human low-dose radiation exposure.

ANS has issued the followed statement regarding the approved funding:

We are thrilled to see the House Appropriations Committee’s recommendation on this important topic. In the 10 years since this program was last funded, the global scientific community has made significant advances in microbiology research tools, such as genomics and proteomics. The funding provided would allow researchers to use these tools to provide new insights into the human health impacts of low-dose radiation exposure. This research would be critical in informing a comprehensive review of our current radiation regulations, standards, and guidelines, some of which are several decades old.

“We are especially grateful for our partner organizations, including the American Society to Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), and the Health Physics Society (HPS), who joined us in advocating for this funding.