Niwa named director of RERF
Jun. 25, 2015
On June 22 the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) announced the retirement of its director and the appointment of a successor. Located in Hiroshima’s Minami Ward, RERF conducts studies on the effects of the atomic bombing on the health of the survivors. According to the announcement, Otsura Niwa took over as director from Toshiteru Okubo effective June 20. Mr. Niwa, a professor emeritus at Kyoto University and a visiting professor at Fukushima Medical University, was appointed for a two-year term.
The move was decided on at a Board of Councilors meeting held in Washington, D.C. on June 18 and 19. Mr. Niwa, whose expertise is in radiation biology, was a professor at Hiroshima University’s Research Institute for Nuclear Medicine and Biology (now the Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine) and at Kyoto University’s Radiation Biology Center. He has also served on RERF’s Board of Councilors.
Mr. Okubo, who has served as director since 2005, will remain at RERF and work on a study on the effects on health of the 2011 accident at the Fukushima No. 1 (Daiichi) nuclear power plant.
At its recent meeting, the Board of Councilors also approved the retirement of Roy Shore, vice chairman and chief of research, and the appointment of American Robert Ullrich, associate chief of research, as his replacement.
(Originally published on June 23, 2015)
The move was decided on at a Board of Councilors meeting held in Washington, D.C. on June 18 and 19. Mr. Niwa, whose expertise is in radiation biology, was a professor at Hiroshima University’s Research Institute for Nuclear Medicine and Biology (now the Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine) and at Kyoto University’s Radiation Biology Center. He has also served on RERF’s Board of Councilors.
Mr. Okubo, who has served as director since 2005, will remain at RERF and work on a study on the effects on health of the 2011 accident at the Fukushima No. 1 (Daiichi) nuclear power plant.
At its recent meeting, the Board of Councilors also approved the retirement of Roy Shore, vice chairman and chief of research, and the appointment of American Robert Ullrich, associate chief of research, as his replacement.
(Originally published on June 23, 2015)
