On 30 August 2026, I had the opportunity to attend the 8th Coordination Meeting of the WHO BioDoseNet at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, Canada. The meeting was held as a satellite meeting alongside EPRBioDose 2026.
This was also my second opportunity to participate in a WHO BioDoseNet Coordination Meeting. I had previously participated in the 7th Coordination Meeting, which took place on 24 September 2024 in Hirosaki, Japan. It was interesting to again be part of the meeting and to see the continued activities and development of the biodosimetry networks.
The meeting brought together people involved in different biodosimetry networks and activities from around the world. There were updates from Canada, Japan, France, the UK, Korea, Singapore, Central Asia, RENEB, the Latin American Biological Dosimetry Network, Spain, and others. It was interesting to learn more about how these different networks are working and developing their activities.
For me, one of the useful aspects of the meeting was getting a broader picture of the international biodosimetry community. Although different networks may have their own focus and regional challenges, there are also many common interests, particularly in strengthening preparedness and collaboration.
It was also nice to meet Z. Kenbayeva from WHO in person and to have the opportunity to interact with colleagues working in this field.
Overall, it was a fruitful meeting and a good opportunity to learn more about the different biodosimetry networks around the world, exchange ideas, and reconnect with colleagues before the main EPRBioDose 2026 meeting.
Dr. Prabodha Kumar Meher 