Office of Health and Safety Participates in 50th Anniversary Ceremonies of RERF, Visits Fukushima

To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF), Josh Silverman, Acting Director of the Office of Health and Safety (EHSS-10), Robin Elgart, Director of the Office of Domestic and International Health Studies (EHSS-13), and Cato Milder, Japan Program Manager for EHSS-13 traveled to Japan June 16-26, 2025. RERF’s 50 years of research on the long-term health effects of radiation on atomic bomb survivors have not only provided benefits for the survivors themselves but also served as the basis for radiation protection across the globe. Dr. Silverman delivered remarks at commemorative ceremonies in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, demonstrating EHSS’s continued support of the long-running program.

The commemorative ceremony in Hiroshima aligned with RERF’s 15th Board of Councilors’ Meeting, where decisions about RERF’s ongoing management, finances, and research directions are officially set to record. EHSS attended to meet with the councilors as well as RERF staff and scientists, learning about how the next phase of RERF’s research will continue to provide health benefits to global radiation-exposed communities. Immediate new directions include a move to a new state-of-the-art facility at Hiroshima University’s Kasumi campus, where scientists will have more collaborative opportunities than ever before, enabling an even bigger impact of RERF’s research.

EHSS also had the opportunity to meet with the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) to discuss how the agencies can continue strategically supporting the needs of RERF. MHLW partners with the Department of Energy’s Office of Domestic and International Health Studies to cooperatively fund RERF’s research and operations.

While in Japan, EHSS took the opportunity to conduct an inspection tour of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which is in the process of being decommissioned after four of its reactors were damaged following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. EHSS paired this tour with visits to local museums dedicated to explaining the impact to communities of the triple disaster. EHSS aims to understand both the successes and lessons learned from the response; as nuclear power expands in the United States, EHSS is prioritizing gathering knowledge from all sources to proactively prevent similar disasters from affecting American or other global communities.

For more information about the EHSS-13 Japan Program click here.

• The Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum
• Remains of Ukedo Elementary School in Namie Town Museum
• Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident