CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES AND STATEMENTS
NB: Each IUR member entitled to vote receive a personal dedicated mail including a link toward a voting platform.
NB: The candidates in this pamphlet are listed in alphabetical order and indicates no preference.
1. Dr. Frédéric ALONZO
IRSN
Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety
FRANCE
Current professional position
Frédéric Alonzon is a senior researcher in nuclear ecotoxicology at French IRSN.
Declaration of the responsibility
As a member of the Board of Council of IUR, I will be interested in participating to a Task group on Risk assessment to Ecosystems, participating to workshops and promoting statistically sound methodologies to increase ecological relevance in risk evaluation, based on laboratory and field studies of radiation effects. During the next four year term, I am not interested in holding a peculiar responsibility within the Board of Council.
Declaration of intention
I submit my candidacy for the next Board of Council of IUR, in order to actively take a role in the management of the Union. As a senior researcher in nuclear ecotoxicology at IRSN, with a long experience in experimental testing and mechanistic modelling, I benefit from an ongoing liaison with the scientific community, personally achieving novel research and developments in an active radioecology network. Over the past decade, I have lead a working package on ionizing radiation effects during EC-funded project STAR and co-lead a working group on modelling radiation effects to biota during IAEA program MODARIA, ensuring information exchange and contributing reports publication.
2. Dr. Kentaro ARIYOSHI
Fukushima Medical University
JAPAN
Current professional position
Kentaro Ariyoshi is associate professor at Fukushima Medical University, Integrated Center for Science and Humanities. Based on radiation biology, we are working on (1) research on the non-targeted effects of radiation and personal sensitivity (2) the relationship between aneuploidy and cancer. Since 2014, we have been conducting radiation effects on wild animals in Namie-town, Fukushima Prefecture. We are currently developing assays that combine bench work and field work to investigate the biological effects of environmental radiation. Kentaro is member of the Japanese Radiation Research Society.
Declaration of the responsibility expected to be held within the Board of Council
I am willing to play role of promoting scientific developments of Fukushima wild life researches, active networking of Japanese scientists to other countries scientists, ensuring report publication.
3. Dr. Andrea BONISOLI ALQUATI
California State Polytechnic University
Department of Biological Sciences
Pomona, California
USA
Current professional position
Andrea Bonisoli Alquati is associate professor at California State Polytechnic University. The Bonisoli Alquati Lab is a research lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona, dedicated to the research of the effects of environmental pollutants on wild animals, to understand their impacts and as a tool to investigate the response of animals to anthropogenic environmental change.
Declaration of the responsibility expected to be held within the Board of Council
Within IUR’s Board of Council, I would be honored to serve as a Board member, with responsibilities in: actively participating in the Board’s and IUR’s activities; promoting radioecological research and knowledge globally; contributing to the social media presence and the newsletters of IUR; and integrating IUR’s work and mission within the broader scientific and institutional work done by other scientific societies, including the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC).
Declaration of intention
I have 12+ years of experience in the analysis of low-dose ionizing radiation exposure and effects in a variety of taxa, with particular focus on birds. Since 2007, I have organized or participated in 10+ expeditions to the Chernobyl and Fukushima Exclusion Zones. Over this time, I have accumulated expertise in fieldwork techniques, biomarker analysis (physiological and cytogenetic), dosimetry of wild animals, transcriptomic and genomic analyses. If successfully elected to the Board of Council, I plan on connecting IUR to other scientific societies focused on ecological and environmental analysis and environmental risk assessment, including SETAC and the Ecological Society of America (ESA). To this aim, I have 3+ years of experience holding leadership positions within scientific societies. I am currently serving as President of the Southern California Chapter of SETAC (SoCal SETAC). For this Chapter with 500+ members I have been organizing meetings and conferences, issuing periodic newsletters, outreaching to donors, and overlooking the awarding of grants and awards to students. Within SETAC, I have also been involved in the Wildlife Toxicology Interest Group as a Board member since 2020. By regularly attending SETAC North America annual meetings, I have become convinced the radioecological community has much to contribute to the broader scientific discourse on environmental contamination, including on issues of biomarker analysis, multiple stressors, and extrapolation about the effects of radiation exposure across levels of biological complexity. If elected to the Board, I plan on organizing sessions at SETAC annual meetings that showcase radioecological research and its value to understanding anthropogenic contamination. These sessions will also enable the transfer of advanced research tools – such as machine learning, -omics analysis and adverse outcome pathway approaches – from environmental toxicology to radioecology. As a faculty member in a minority-serving institution who teaches and does research with a diverse student community, I have
experience in promoting diversity, equity and inclusivity initiatives. If elected to the Board, I plan on drafting a plan for IUR to increase its diversity of composition and perspectives. I also have a long-standing interest in science communication and outreach. I would be interested in opening accounts on various social media channels to ensure an outreach by the Union to a broader audience, including through LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter. In summary, my extensive experience in ecological and radioecological research, and my leadership positions within other scientific societies prepared me for the role of Board member within IUR Board of Council. I am convinced IUR has a lot to contribute to the global scientific discourse. I look forward to the opportunity of contributing to IUR’s mission.
4. Dr. Shaofei CAO
CIRP
China Institute for Radiation Protection
P.R. of CHINA
Present and recent relevant professional responsibilities
Director of Radioecology Laboratory
Proposed responsibility
Strengthen the communication between IUR, IAEA and ICRP.
Declaration of intention
1. A programme of action If I am lucky enough to be elected, I plan to work from the following aspects:
(1) To strengthen the communication between IUR, IAEA and ICRP, and focus on the top-level planning of disciplines.
(2) To organize the sharing of high-level radioecology experimental facilities worldwide, and expect to produce more scientific research achievements.
(3) To encourage the establishment of branches in developing countries, and promote the development of radioecology there.
(4) CIRP has the best radioecology experimental facilities in China. We are willing to take more responsibilities and play a more active role in promoting the development of radioecology in China and around the world.
2. A development strategy for the IUR
2.1. Focus on the frontiers of the discipline, leading the development of radioecology
2.1.1. To predict human and wildlife exposure in a robust way by quantifying key processes that influence radionuclide transfers and exposure, including: (1) Identify and mathematically represent key processes that make significant contributions to the environmental transfers of radionuclides and resultant exposures of humans and wildlife. (2) Acquire the data necessary for parameterisation of the key processes controlling the transfer of radionuclides. (3) Develop process-based transfer and exposure models that incorporate physical, chemical and biological interactions and associated kinetics, and enable predictions to be made spatially and temporally. (4) Represent radionuclide transfer and exposure at a landscape or large geographic scale with an indication of the associated uncertainty.
2.1.2. To determine ecological consequences under realistic exposure conditions
(1) Mechanistically understand how processes link radiation induced effects in wildlife from molecular to individual levels of biological complexity.
(2) Understand what causes intra-species and inter-species differences in radiosensitivity (i.e. among cell types, tissues, life stages, among contrasted life histories, influence of ecological characteristics including habitats, behaviour, feeding regime...).
(3) In a broader exposure context, understand the interactions between ionising radiation effects and other co-stressors.
(4) In a broader ecological context, understand the mechanisms underlying multi-generational responses to long-term ecologically relevant exposures (e.g., maternal effects, hereditary effects, adaptive responses, genomic instability, and epigenetic processes).
(5) Understand how radiation effects combine in a broader ecological context at higher levels of biological organisation (population dynamics, trophic interactions, indirect effects at the community level, and consequences for ecosystem functioning).
2.1.3. To improve human and environmental protection by integrating radioecology
(1) Integrate uncertainty and variability from transfer modelling, exposure assessment, and effects characterisation into risk characterisation.
(2) Integrate human and environmental protection frameworks.
(3) Integrate the risk assessment frameworks for ionising radiation and chemicals.
(4) Provide a multi-criteria perspective including decision support systems for an optimised decision-making.
(5) Towards better interaction and integration of radioecology with other disciplines, including social sciences and humanities (SSH).
2.2. To strengthen exchange and cooperation, and enhance the international influence of IUR
(1) To organize the sharing of high-level radioecology experimental facilities worldwide, and expect to produce more scientific research achievements.
(2) The annual academic conference could be held by different regions and countries in turn to promote the development of radioecology in different countries.
(3) To strengthen science popularization and strive to improve the audience of radioecology.
5. Dr. Tom CRESSWEL
ANSTO
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
AUSTRALIA
Current professional position
Tom Cresswel is Senior Research Scientist, Isotope Ecologist, in Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry. Tom is an environmental research scientist with a passion for understanding how humans impact our environment. He studies how pollution interacts with living organisms in freshwaters through to coastal areas. Tom’s position at ANSTO allows him to use nuclear techniques (radioisotope tracers) to very precisely study how quickly pollutants get into a living organism, where it goes within the tissues and then how quickly they are removed from the tissues if the source of pollution is removed or the animal moves to cleaner waters.
Declaration of the responsibility expected to be held within the Board of Council
Nomination for the position of Engagement Officer (new role) or General Member (existing role). If elected to the IUR Board of Council, I plan to work with other Board members to examine the current student/ECR awards and expand them where possible through seeking external funding and sponsorship to support award funds. I also plan to introduce a mentoring program as described above. I also plan to increase connections between IUR and SETAC as there are many synergies between both groups. This may involve joint workshops or working groups, as well as the potential to invite each other’s membership to attend conferences. My current position on the Board of SETAC AU allows me the opportunity to establish and grow the connections between IUR and SETAC.
Declaration of intention
I believe there is a need for increased education and outreach (i.e., engagement) within the IUR membership and between IUR members and other stakeholders. I have been an active Board member of the Australasian chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), holding the offices of Student Representative, State Representative, and for the last 5 years, Vice-President. During my time as a Board member of SETAC AU, I have introduced several student and early career researcher (ECR) awards, which has substantially increased ECR member engagement within the society. I have also introduced mentoring programs, pairing student and ECR members with established members, throughout the year and also during SETAC AU conferences. These programs have further engaged the younger members of the society, which has in turn increased the vibrance of the membership and promoted succession planning for members of the community.
6. Dr. Nele HOREMANS
SCK CEN
Belgian Nuclear Research Centre
BELGIUM
Present and recent relevant professional responsibilities
Nele Horemans currently heads the research Unit for Biosphere Impact Studies at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN). Nele does research in plant stress responses to radiation and radionuclides. As an ecotoxicologist, she is interested in the role plants can play in cleaning up pollution from the environment. Next to her research at SCK CEN she is appointed as a guest lecturer at the University of Hasselt teaching, radio - & ecotoxicity, radiecology lab to field approaches.
Proposed responsibility
Science assistant and Treasurer
7. Dr. Amy MACINTOSH
ANSTO
Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
Macquarie University and Environment Research Theme
AUSTRALIA
Current professional position
PhD student in Environmental Toxicology and Radioecology at ANSTO
Declaration of the responsibility
Nomination for the position of International Student Representative (new role, see below) or General Member (existing role).
Declaration of intention
I believe there is a growing need for increased collaborations, outreach, support, and opportunities for the students with IUR membership and between IUR members and other stakeholders. I have been an active member of ANSTO’s Nuclear Early Career Researchers and Scientists Club, holding the position President for the last two years. I also hold position of Higher Degree Research Student representative for my university’s Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Graduate Research Student representative for the School of Natural Sciences. Outside of university, I have held the position as the Australian representatives on the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Asia Pacific Student Advisory Council (APSAC) for the last two years. During my time as the student representative for my faculty, I have introduced an open-door policy whereby I have increased the opportunity for students to communicate any issues or feedback during their studies. This has substantially increased engagement with the student community, reporting of mental health complications and difficult financial situations. As a result, we have successfully increased mental health and financial support to current and new postgraduate students. I have also implemented social gatherings on campus for opportunities to connect outside of working hours in a friendly, safe space. As my time as the regional student representative for Australia in the APSAC, I maintained communication with the members in their area and liaising with other Council members to inform the membership regarding local events, jobs, scholarships, and workshops. I assisted in the production and organisation of the SETAC 2022 Young Environmental Scientists Conference. These roles have increased my involvement and presence within the student and ECR communities from my studies and partnering organisations, which has in turn increased the vibrance of student participation and promoted personal development opportunities. If elected to the IUR Board of Council, I plan to work with other Board members and the wider student community to construct a student forum and social hub for correspondence and networking. I also plan to initiate a student-focused conference/workshop, whereby early career researchers and students from different levels of studies can come together and present their research, as well have opportunities to network and provide mentorship to one another. I also plan to introduce a student-based council whereby a representative will be selected from each geographic region. I also plan to increase connections and opportunities for students to network by in-person and online between IUR and universities to promote research experiences, internships, and future job prospects. I would like to further promote and raise awareness in the topics of diversity in STEM, translating research to policy, stress, imposter syndrome, and mental and physical health barriers. These topics are common challenges for students and identifying tools to mitigate and assist in overcoming these challenges need to be discussed in the radioecological community. This may involve workshops or webinars. My current position as the student representative for the Faculty of Science and Engineering allows me the opportunity to establish and bring the student community together and provide a port a call for support, advice and social networking.