News | U.S. Transuranium and Uranium Registries

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Recently published research

February 23, 2015 Stacey McComish

Findings based upon tissue donations to the USTUR continue to shape our understanding of internally incorporated actinides. In the early months of 2015, two scientific papers were published by USTUR faculty. Maia Avtandilashvili modelled the long-term retention of uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) in an occupationally exposed Registrant, and Sergei Tolmachev coauthored a publication that mapped the distribution of actinides in lymph nodes from USTUR donors. » More …

USTUR active at scientific meetings

November 17, 2014 Stacey McComish

USTUR faculty have participated in several scientific meetings during recent months including the Radiobioassay and Radiochemical Measurements Conference, a EURADOS plenary meeting, a Radiation Research Society meeting, and a Health Physics Society meeting. » More …

New hire, George Tabatadze, joins the USTUR

August 6, 2014 Stacey McComish

George Tabatadze began work as a research associate in radiation measurements on August 1^st. Dr. Tabatadze earned his Ph.D. from Idaho State University in 2012. His research was conducted using data from a USTUR registrant donation. As such, he is well acquainted with the mission and operation of the Registries. He is enthusiastic about joining the USTUR research team, and we look forward to working with him.

USTUR director reappointed as adjunct professor at Laval University

May 7, 2014 Stacey McComish

The USTUR director, Dr. Sergei Tolmachev, was reappointed as an adjunct professor at Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

Dr. Tolmachev was first appointed as an adjunct professor in 2011, and his current term of appointment extends until June 2017.

Health Physics Society meeting

March 31, 2014 Stacey McComish

USTUR faculty are authors on two abstracts that will be presented at the 59^th Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society in Baltimore, MD, July 13-17:

M. Avtandilashvili, S. L. McComish, S. Y. Tolmachev. USTUR Whole-Body Case 0212: Testing NCRP Wound Model.

R. L. Kathren, S. Y. Tolmachev. Uranium Distribution and Concentrations in the Tissues of Whole-Body Donations to the USTUR.

A third abstract will be present research based upon USTUR data:

J. Zhou. Incorrect Analyses of Radiation and Mesothelioma in the US Transuranium and Uranium Registries.

USTUR faculty attend scientific meetings

October 22, 2013 Stacey McComish

In October, three scientific meetings were attended by USTUR faculty members.

Stacey McComish gave a presentation on the biodosimetry of plutonium workers at a joint meeting between EURADOS Working Group 7 (internal dosimetry) and Working Group 10 (retrospective dosimetry). She also attended the plenary meeting of EURADOS WG7, Bologna, Italy, October 1-3, 2013.

Maia Avtandilashvili gave a podium presentation describing her research on the deposition and retention of UF₆ in a USTUR Registrant. She also presented a poster that summarized a study that will use Bayesian analysis to determine equivalent lung doses for each deceased USTUR Registrant. The HEIR conference was held in Berkeley, CA, October 13-17, 2013.

Abstracts and presentation links

Sergei Tolmachev attended ICRP 2013: the 2^nd International Symposium on the System of Radiological Protection, Abu Dhabi, October 22-24, 2013.

Graduate student project

April 3, 2013 Stacey McComish

In March, Becky Phillips, WSU Graduate College of Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner Program, performed a 45-hour clinical research project at the USTUR as a part of her Master’s Degree program. Ms. Phillips assisted during the dissection of a plutonium worker’s lung into ICRP 66’s three thoracic compartments (BB, bb, and AI).

Health Physics Society meeting

July 26, 2012 Stacey McComish

USTUR faculty were authors on three presentations at the 57^th Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society (HPS) in Sacramento, CA, July 22-26, 2012. The presentations were given by Maia Avtandilashvili (USTUR, photo at right), Sergei Tolmachev (USTUR), and Majid Khalaf (ISU).

Abstract and presentation links

Russian scientist visits, learns about USTUR radiochemistry operations

July 20, 2012 Stacey McComish

Ms. Elena Burikova, the Head of the Radiochemistry Group at the Southern Urals Biophysics Institute (SUBI) in Ozyorsk, Russia, spent five days at the USTUR in July 2012. SUBI studies the effects of radiation in workers from the first Russian nuclear facility, Mayak PA. SUBI houses a radiobiological repository that is similar to the USTUR. The Russian Radiobiology Human Tissue Repository (RHTR) contains tissues from 922 deceased Mayak workers, and biological materials from living workers and non-occupationally exposed residents of Ozyorsk (e.g. blood and surgical specimens).¹ SUBI’s radiochemistry group analyzes these human tissues to determine the quantity of actinides (such as plutonium and americium). » More …

New hires at the Registries

March 15, 2012 Stacey McComish

Maia Avtandilashvili (left) and Elizabeth Thomas (right)

The USTUR is excited to welcome two new faces to the USTUR team, Maia Avtandilashvili and Elizabeth Thomas. Dr. Avtandilashvili (left) is a health physicist who joined the USTUR on January 22. Ms. Thomas (right) is a laboratory technician who began working with the USTUR on March 1, 2012.