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ICRP 2019 Keynote Speakers to Include Canadian Astronaut Dr Robert Thirsk

2019-09-27

ICRP 2019 (17-21 November 2019 in Adelaide, Australia) will feature 4 days of presentations and discussions that include “Mines, Medicine, and Mars”.  With less than two months until ICRP 2019, conference organisers have announced that Dr Robert Thirsk will highlight the speakers on Day 4 of ICRP’s biennial symposia series.

Dr Thirsk has academic backgrounds in mechanical engineering, medicine, and business administration. He has flown on two space missions as a member of the Canadian Space Agency’s astronaut corps. Bob first flew aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 1996 as part of the Life and Microgravity Spacelab mission. His second flight in 2009 was a six-month expedition aboard the International Space Station. Bob and his crewmates performed multidisciplinary research, robotic operations, and maintenance of Station systems and payloads.  With more and more people set to enter space in the future, the need for radiological protection (RP) in space is quickly increasing.  ICRP has been working with space agencies around the world, and Day 4 of the symposium will include presentations and panel discussions on the current work, and future trends of RP in space.

One of the host organisations, the Australasian Radiation Protection Society (ARPS), will be having their annual forum on the first official day of ICRP 2019.  It will also mark the commencement of the ARPS Trade Exhibition, which is set to run through the duration of the event.  Also taking place on Day 1 will be the Bo Lindell lecture, given by 2019 Bo Lindell Medal recipient Liz Ainsbury. 

On Day 2, “Mines”, attendees will experience three main topics related to the mining industry on radiological protection of workers, public, and the environment; Radon in mining and beyond; and, other NORM industries.  The panel will consist of discussions on NORM, mines, and future trends.  The keynote speaker is Laura Tyler, Asset President of Olympic Dam with responsibility for the safe and sustainable operation of one of the world’s most significant polymetallic orebodies producing copper, uranium, gold, and silver in remote South Australia.  She is also the Chief Geoscientist at BHP.

Radiological protection in medicine will receive a dedicated day for the first time at an ICRP symposium.  Day 3 will feature Professor Brendan Murphy, Chief Medical Officer for the Australian Government and the principal medical adviser to the Minister and Health. He also holds direct responsibility for the Health’s Office of Health Protection and the Health Workforce Division.  Accompanying Professor Murphy are sessions on health practitioners; the role of equipment manufacturers in radiological protection; and patient focus.  The panel will discuss raising awareness of RP in medicine.

The detailed programme for the 5th International Symposium on the System of Radiological Protection is now available on www.icrp2019.com.  With four days of world-class presentations and discussions, this highly unique event will provide insight and experiences not seen at an ICRP symposium to date.

Registration, sponsorship and exhibitions packages, programme information, and more can be found on the event website.  Should you want more information about this event, or anything ICRP related, please contact Kelsey Cloutier (kelsey.cloutier@icrp.org), ICRP’s Development and Communications Manager.