Attending the 17th International Congress for Radiation Research (ICRR) in Montreal, Canada, was an extraordinary milestone for me. This meeting, held every four years, brings together brilliant minds in radiation research from across the globe. What made it even more special for me was that this was my first-ever ICRR meeting, something I had been looking forward to for years.
Back in 2015, I had hoped to join the ICRR in Kyoto, and again in 2019 for the Manchester edition. While circumstances kept me from those events, this year, thanks to the PIANOFORTE travel grant for early career researchers, I finally made it to the Société du Palais des Congrès de Montréal during August 27–30, 2023.
My Experience
Representing the Center for Radiation Protection Research at Stockholm University, I presented a poster on our work titled “Degree of intra-, and inter-individual variability for the risk of developing second malignant neoplasms after radiotherapy for cancer.” This was not just an opportunity to showcase our research but also to interact with peers, answer questions, and receive valuable feedback. The discussions were insightful and broadened my knowledge, giving me fresh perspectives to carry forward in my work.
The conference was packed with sessions and activities that were truly enriching, Some key moments from the meeting are here.
- The pre-conference workshop for early career researchers on August 26 was an excellent start. Talks by experts like Robin Elgart from NASA and Kathryn Held on NCRP, along with sessions on grant writing by Marco Durante and others, were particularly helpful.
- Susan Lees-Miller’s plenary talk on DNA damage and repair mechanisms stood out, emphasizing the backbone of radiation research.
- Sessions on radiation protection, low-dose molecular responses, biodosimetry, and biomarkers of radiation exposure were incredibly relevant to my interests.
- The debate on adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) was engaging, with compelling arguments from both sides.
In addition to this, one of the most fascinating moments was hearing NASA astronaut Christopher L. Williams share his perspective on the challenges of radiation research in space exploration. I have another post in my website read here Click.
A Personal Milestone
Beyond the science and learning, this meeting was a personal accomplishment. Attending an ICRR meeting after years of anticipation felt like crossing a major milestone. Indeed it was exciting with meeting Prof. Manoor Prakash Hande, a mentor and friend from afar, who is from the Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore. I also had the pleasure of connecting with another friend Dr. Satoshi Yamaga, a postdoctoral researcher from the Feinstein Institute, New York, along with several research scholars and scientists from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
These interactions, coupled with the vibrant discussions and shared moments, were truly memorable. Some pictures below from these occasions that capture the warmth these connections.
I am deeply grateful to PIANOFORTE for their generous support, Prof. Andrzej Wojcik (our group leader, unfortunately he could not go for this meeting), my Colleagues Lovisa, Zuzana and Mila from our group at the Department of Molecular Biosciences, Stockholm University, Sweden which made this possible. Memorable!
The experience of networking, learning, and exchanging ideas at ICRR 2023 has left an indelible mark on me. It was a week of inspiration and growth that I will always cherish.
Thank you very much for reading✨♥️.
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Dr. Prabodha Kumar Meher 