NUCLEAR SURVIVALWhat We’ve Learned from Survivors of the Atomic Bombs

By Nancy Huddleston

In August 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Immediately following the attacks, Japanese teams gathered vital information from survivors to define their exposure and health, and in 1946, President Truman directed the U.S. National Academy of Sciences to set up ongoing surveillance of the health of atomic bomb survivors. The Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission, which was established in 1947 and joined by the Japanese government in 1948, was reorganized into the binational Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) in 1975.

RERF’s mission continues today, with funding from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare and from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The National Academies, through its Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board, serves as a liaison to RERF for the DOE and provides assistance and support. With the extraordinary cooperation of approximately 200,000 survivors and their children, RERF’s studies—the most extensive studies of this kind ever conducted—have greatly advanced our understanding of the links between radiation exposure and disease, cell and genetic damage, and other factors.

In June 2023, RERF welcomed Dr. Preetha Rajaraman, a specialist in cancer and molecular epidemiology, as the 18th Vice Chair of RERF—the first woman ever to serve in that role. Here, Dr. Rajaraman shares her thoughts about the contributions and future of RERF as it is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary and move to Hiroshima University’s Kasumi Campus from its current location in Hiroshima. 

What drew you to the position at RERF?
First and foremost, I was impressed by RERFs reputation for global excellence in research and the number of contributions it has made through its exceptional studies. The Life Span Study, for example, based on a very large cohort of approximately 120,000 individuals with estimates of individual radiation dose over a range of exposure and excellent long-term follow-up, has yielded detailed information on cancer risks in humans that have formed the basis of radiological protection worldwide. This unique combination, along with the availability of longitudinally collected biospecimens for a subset of this population, opens the door to many new possibilities for cutting edge research. I was also struck by the historical importance of this study, and the opportunity to honor the support of the survivors with the best possible science to inform their health and wellbeing, and the health of radiation-exposed populations worldwide.