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May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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Latest News
Nuclear power plant proximity study sparks controversy
A study published in Nature Communications found a correlation between proximity to nuclear power plants and rates of cancer mortality.
The paper, “National Analysis of Cancer Mortality and Proximity to Nuclear Power Plants in the United States,” said that the study could not establish causation but also said that the researchers’ calculations support evidence of 115,586 “cancer deaths attributable to nuclear power plants proximity.”
Amir Bahadori, nuclear engineering program director at Kansas State University, cautioned that this study should not be read as proof that nuclear power plants cause cancer deaths.
2020 ANS Virtual Winter Meeting Plenary Session Appearance
National Research Innovation Center (NRIC)
Director
Ashley Finan is the Director of the National Reactor Innovation Center. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing initiatives to provide resources to reactor innovators to test, demonstrate, and conduct performance assessments to accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear technology concepts.
Dr. Finan most recently served as Executive Director for the Nuclear Innovation Alliance and previously served as a Director of Nuclear Innovation at Clean Air Task Force.
Dr. Finan earned her Ph.D. in Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her doctoral work focused on energy innovation investment and policy optimization, both in nuclear and renewable energy technologies.
Last modified November 4, 2020, 12:04pm EST