Biological Systems and Engineering (BSE) senior scientist Eleanor Blakely was awarded the Gray Medal in an August 26 ceremony at the International Congress of Radiation Research in Manchester, England. The award was established by the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) in 1967 in honor of the late Louis Harold Gray, former member and vice-chairman of the commission. It is awarded for outstanding contributions to diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, radiation protection, and radiation science of interest to ICRU.
Blakely has more than 40 years of professional experience in molecular, cellular, and animal radiobiological research directed at studying the basic mechanisms of radiation responses, with an emphasis on charged particle radiation effects. Her extensive professional activities included service on a variety of advisory panels for several hospitals, universities, and numerous federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Defense (DOD).
In conjunction with the award, she delivered the 20th Gray Medal lecture on Health and Heavy Ions, highlighting the significance of precise physical and biologically-effective dosimetry to translational research on particle radiobiology of accelerated ions for the benefit of human health.
