Jason Davis named health physicist for ORISE REAC/TS facility

Award-winning health physicist has worked at ORAU since 2009

Jason Davis has been named health physicist for the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site, a world-renowned U.S. Department of Energy asset located at the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and managed by ORAU.

Davis is a highly regarded health physicist, bringing more than 14 years of experience in health physics and radiological engineering to REAC/TS, a press release said. He has worked in academia as well as for DOE and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His primary area of interest is internal dosimetry, and he has experience in external dosimetry, diagnostic medical imaging, radiation biology, and radiation protection.

REAC/TS is a deployable DOE asset and a leader in emergency medical response to radiological/nuclear incidents, the press release said. The REAC/TS team provides emergency response, advice, and consultation for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation. REAC/TS also offers continuing education for medical personnel, emergency planners, and others on the medical management of radiological/nuclear incidents, as well as decontamination techniques, through instructional and hands-on education.

Davis has lectured at REAC/TS and ORAU Professional Training Program courses and has received outstanding evaluations from participating students, the press release said.

“Jason has been a valued member of the ORAU team since 2009,” said Nick Dainiak, medical and technical director of REAC/TS. “We look forward to a long and productive relationship as he enters the world of rapid dose estimation in emergency situations.”

In July, Davis was named the 2017 recipient of the Elda E. Anderson Award by the Health Physics Society, of which he is an active member. The award is bestowed to one of the society’s young members for excellence in research or development, discovery or invention, or significant contributions to the health physics profession.

Davis holds a doctorate in applied physics from Idaho State University, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health physics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is certified in the comprehensive practice of health physics by the American Board of Health Physics.

Davis joined ORAU in 2009 to work on projects associated with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. As a member of the NIOSH Special Exposure Cohort team, Davis researched the historic monitoring practices of sites to determine whether sufficient information exists to adequately bound radiation exposures to employees. He communicated this information, along with analyses of the methods to bound radiation doses using the data available, through evaluation reports, project reports, and white papers. He has developed methods to assess internal dose, using historical bioassay data, and conducts quality control testing for biological dose. He has published three white papers, 10 abstracts, and two peer-reviewed articles.

About ORISE

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) asset that is dedicated to enabling critical scientific, research, and health initiatives of the department and its laboratory system by providing world class expertise in STEM workforce development, scientific and technical reviews, and the evaluation of radiation exposure and environmental contamination.

ORISE is managed by ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and federal contractor, for DOE’s Office of Science. The single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.

This press release was submitted by Michael Holtz.