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IAEA Marks International Women’s Day by Celebrating More Women in Nuclear

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Sama Bilbao Y Leon, Director General of the World Nuclear Association, speaking to participants during the high-level panel at the opening of the event.

According to Women in Nuclear Global, women comprise less than a quarter of professionals working in the nuclear sector globally, particularly in senior roles.

Career talks in breakout sessions focused on strengthening participants’ networks and leadership skills, as well as how the nuclear community can support women throughout their careers in the field. Senior nuclear experts and leaders shared their experiences and answered questions. Industry professionals had the chance to meet with a growing community of women nuclear experts and explore opportunities to advance their careers.

“Be bold,” said Aleshia Duncan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of Energy in the USA. “Make an impression. Make a connection. Make a network and a tribe of people that will support you throughout your career.

“We’re telling the truth when we say we need you, but we need you to show up as your best self, knowing that you can do the job, knowing that you can bring your whole self, knowing that you can be who you are, and do the job.”

“The organizations I worked for took it upon themselves to change the way they recruited, nurtured talent, promoted people, and they changed the policy that they had adopted, until that point, to attract women and to look like the society that they were part of and served,” said Mina Golshan, the Safety, Security and Assurance Director of Sizewell C Ltd., during a session featuring leading organizations in the nuclear industry.

During the event’s closing session, the IAEA and WNA signed an agreement pledging to work together to help place women in more professional positions in the nuclear sector. Participants of both programmes also presented their joint statement acknowledging how crucial it is to champion and empower women in nuclear science and technology, and that the field must become more accessible to women. The joint statement was an outcome of an innovative synchronous collaborative  online methodology allowing them to democratically write and edit together their vision of how to attract and retain more women in the nuclear field  before the event. Their joint statement pledged to support, advocate, promote and practice policies that empower women, ensure gender equality, and enable women to reach their full potential in the nuclear field.

The IAEA event also showcased the achievements of the MSCFP and LMP programmes and provided a platform to not only strengthen existing partnerships with donors, but also to establish new ones, ensuring the continued sustainability and success of both programmes for years to come.

High-level representatives of IAEA’s major donors shared their motivations to support the IAEA on the two programmes, as well as concrete actions and outcomes achieved, and what is envisaged for the future of women in the nuclear sector. Mr Carl Hallergard, European Union Ambassador and Permanent Representative to IAEA, announced the EU’s pledge to contribute a further 2 million euros to the MSCFP for future cohorts. The EU is currently the largest MSCFP donor.

The event was made possible thanks to the generous support of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the UK and the USA, as well as Walter Testo and Urenco.

Since the MSCFP flagship programme was launched in 2020, 560 women from 121 countries have received financial in-kind support to pursue degrees in the nuclear field in over 70 countries worldwide. Over 180 have already completed their master’s programme with the support of the MSCFP, and over 100 of the selected students have been confirmed for an internship facilitated by the IAEA. The MSCFP welcomed its largest cohort to date at the end of 2023 when over 200 new students were awarded to pursue their studies in nuclear subjects.

“On this International Women’s Day, let us reform our support and commit to empowering women in nuclear science and technology,” said Zainab Kamara, a MSCFP recipient from Sierra Leone who studied Nuclear Science and Applications in the UK.

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IAEA Director General Briefs Board of Governors: Ukraine, Iran and Nuclear Energy Summit

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Nuclear safety and security in Ukraine

In his written statement, Director Grossi described the current challenges facing Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which he visited again in person last month, and called once more for “maximum restraint”. The Director General will shortly travel to the Russian Federation to hold high-level consultations as part of his ongoing efforts to ensure nuclear safety and security in the region.

Iran

Mr Grossi also spoke of the unresolved safeguards issues with the Islamic Republic of Iran, adding that he has “hopes to be able to continue this dialogue here or in Tehran or wherever we can because my reports are very clear in this regard: we are not in the place I would like us to be.

“Problems will not disappear. They will only get worse. So, we need to address this in a serious way.”

Syria

The Director General welcomed an invitation he had received from Foreign Minister of the Syrian Arab Republic, Faisal Mekdad, to “visit Damascus to re-establish a meaningful, constructive dialogue and process to facilitate the clarification of remaining issues from the past.” The visit will take place later in March, immediately after a visit to Iraq.

Nuclear Energy Summit

Mr Grossi also drew attention to the upcoming Nuclear Energy Summit, the first of its kind, which will be hosted jointly by the IAEA and the Government of Belgium. “It is going to be an excellent opportunity to discuss the place of nuclear energy in the current energy debates, especially after the watershed final declaration of COP28, which recognized the need to accelerate nuclear energy alongside renewable energies.”

Mr Grossi then emphasized that the IAEA was not only working on the mitigation side of climate change but also on adaptation and on monitoring the effects of global warming.

NUTEC Plastics

In January, the first IAEA scientific research expedition to investigate the scale of microplastic pollution was launched by Mr Grossi and the President of Argentina, Javier Milei. They then travelled to the Antarctic continent together to observe the scientists at work. This expedition is an example of how the IAEA’s NUclear TEChnology for Controlling Plastic Pollution (NUTEC Plastics) can help preserve one of the world’s most delicate marine environments.

“I think it’s very important that for the first time we have objective scientific information of the pollution in this pristine environment,” said Mr Grossi.

Atoms4Food

Mr Grossi and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Director General Qu Dongyu launched a joint IAEA and FAO Atoms4Food initiative last year. The joint initiative aims to increase global food security and tackle growing hunger through the use of nuclear techniques. Mr Grossi said the “first concrete projects” were beginning to take shape as many countries registered their interest.

Rays of Hope

Speaking of the IAEA’s flagship cancer initiative, Rays of Hope, Mr Grossi said: “We are getting more and more requests from countries to participate in this important project.” Last month’s Rays of Hope forum brought together supporters and beneficiaries of the initiative, including Khumbize Chiponda, Malawi’s Minister of Health, who spoke about the positive impact Rays of Hope is having in her country.

ReNuAL2 Underway

Mr Grossi said that many of the IAEA’s initiatives relied on the IAEA’s laboratories in Seibersdorf. He announced that good progress was being made in the final phase of the modernization initiative of  the Nuclear Application Laboratories (ReNuAL2). The Dosimetry Laboratory is close to completion and construction on the new greenhouses is set to begin soon, after the successful mobilization of resources.  

Together For More Women in Nuclear

Concluding his speech, Mr Grossi looked ahead to the IAEA’s Together for More Women in Nuclear event which will take place on 7 and 8 March, to commemorate International Women’s Day. The event brings almost 500 fellows and participants from the IAEA’s  Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme and the Lise Meitner Programme to the IAEA’s Vienna headquarters to exchange ideas and strengthen networking and leadership skills.

 “Now, thanks to the programmes we put together and the generosity of all of you Member States, we have a powerful and ever-growing community of women pursuing careers in nuclear physics, nuclear engineering and other specialties,” he said.

Mr Grossi noted the progress made towards gender parity at the IAEA Secretariat.  Under his helm, the number of women in professionals and higher categories has increased from 30 per cent to almost 46 per cent since December 2019. 

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Obesity Crisis: New IAEA Database to Help Countries Tackle Nutrition Challenges

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

To mark World Obesity Day on Monday 4 March, the IAEA will launch a body composition (BC) database aimed at helping countries devise better health policies to combat growing obesity challenges worldwide. Learning more about body composition, which refers to the relative amounts of fat and lean tissue that make up the body, can help experts and policy makers make more informed decisions, as body composition is a proven indicator of nutritional health.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. Around 800 million adults worldwide are living with obesity and the number of children living with obesity is expected to reach 250 million by 2030. The 2022 Global Nutrition Report reported that there is currently a global nutrition crisis, stating “poor diets and malnutrition in all its forms are among the greatest societal challenges of our time, impacting our health, our economies, and our environment”. Obesity is now rising the fastest in lower- and middle-income countries, with around 70 per cent of  globally overweight or obese people living in these countries.  People living with obesity are at increased risk from other chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease and are more likely to develop 13 types of cancer.

“To effectively prevent and manage obesity, interventions need to be based on accurate, informative and relevant data” said Alexia Alford, a Nutrition Specialist at the IAEA. “The new database will bring together body composition data collected using nuclear techniques from across all global regions and from all stages of life. This data will contribute to understanding the complex condition of obesity and provide evidence to support the design of nutrition interventions for the prevention and management of obesity.”

The new IAEA BC database is being populated by countries’ data obtained using the non-invasive stable isotope technique of deuterium dilution. This will enable researchers to examine obesity with reference to body composition data rather than data based only on body proportions, such as weight and height. The IAEA’s new database is a growing global collection of studies, currently representing 13 countries from Latin America, Asia and Africa with datapoints from around 2600 study participants.

The database is open to contributing researchers and will be available to those interested in accessing body composition data for secondary data analysis once the initial phase of data submissions is complete. The IAEA, with the assistance of a management group of experts, will coordinate data usage requests, ensuring that the data is responsibly used for scientific purposes. New data submissions can be made to the Body Composition database here.

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International Women’s Day: Hundreds of Women Building a Career in Nuclear Gather at the IAEA

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The first Lise Meitner Programme participants at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, USA. (Photo: IAEA)

The first visiting professional programme was hosted at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, USA in June 2023. The cohort had the opportunity to visit a nuclear power plant, research reactor, fuel factory, and research labs, among other activities.  

“Attending the Lise Meitner Programme was an eye-opening experience,” said Simona Miteva, an LMP Visiting Professional from Bulgaria. “Witnessing the latest advancements in the nuclear field and engaging with industry experts has reinforced my passion for this industry. The programme has not only expanded my knowledge but also ignited a drive to contribute to the future of women in nuclear engineering.”   

The second 2023 cohort took place in October 2023, and the visiting professionals shared their time between the Oak Ridge National Lab and the Idaho National Lab, in the USA. This visit focused on strengthening the participants’ individual technical expertise, as well as nuclear reactor modelling, simulations, and virtual environment. Participants also had the chance to visit the nuclear research labs and computational facilities. 

“The Lise Meitner Programme was extraordinary. I got familiar with a suite of tools for reactor physics modelling and simulation. These tools are crucial to my organization, for safety analysis of nuclear reactor structures systems and components during normal and accident conditions,” said Diana Musyoka, a Senior Environmental Scientist from Kenya’s Nuclear Power and Energy Agency. “I also enjoyed the mentorship sessions which opened doors to the careers and lives of women in nuclear. I learnt a lot of best practices that I am currently applying to advance my career in nuclear and to help other young women develop their careers too. The international networks created are proving to be very valuable.” 

The third LMP visit is expected to take place from 25 March to 5 April 2024 in the Republic of Korea and will focus on nuclear power. The fourth LMP application cycle will be announced here, and you can read more participants’ testimonials from past cohorts here. The fifth MSCFP application cycle will be announced here, and you can read more students’ testimonials here.  

“Supporting the higher education of young women and their career growth in the nuclear sector is pivotal for the field. With these two programmes, the IAEA supports women at the most crucial stages: their entry to the field and, afterwards, their continued professional development,” said Mikhail Chudakov, Deputy Director General of the IAEA Department of Nuclear Energy. “We will continue to support women from all corners of the globe to fulfil their aspirations and contribute to a better world, through nuclear science and technology.” 

The IAEA works to address the underrepresentation of women in the nuclear field through the IAEA MSCFP and the LMP. The IAEA welcomes partnering with public and private sectors, academia and civil society to work together for more women in nuclear. Partner with us. 

For information on how to participate in the event, please contact IWD2024@iaea.org.

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Virtual Reality in Cancer Care: Bridging Gaps in Education and Training

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Virtual reality goggles and the IAEA’s recently developed e-learning module “Patient Setup and Positioning for Cervical Cancer External Beam Radiotherapy”. (Photo: E. Harsdorf/IAEA)

This was the case in Mozambique, where IAEA debuted its virtual reality prototype in July 2023 during a national training course on high dose rate brachytherapy — a treatment that can be used for cervical cancer, which accounted for more than a third of the country’s new cancer cases in 2020. Under an IAEA project to strengthen the radiotherapy service at Maputo Hospital — Mozambique’s only facility equipped with an oncological ward — over a dozen medical professionals received this training.

“The brachytherapy unit was not yet operational to treat patients when we delivered the course, so the VR tool was a big help. It also gave the participants the chance to repeat certain e-learning modules right away, which you cannot do with a real patient, when every minute counts,” said Paulo Alfonso Varela Meléndez, one of the course’s instructors.

In a virtual environment, professionals can familiarize themselves with cancer treatment procedures, practice techniques and enhance their overall preparedness without direct patient involvement or before actual equipment is in place. This optimizes the overall learning experience and ensures that medical practitioners are well equipped to provide precise and effective care.

In Dakar, Senegal, the IAEA used its virtual reality tool in an e-contouring workshop it had organized during the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer’s (AORTIC) International Conference on Cancer in Africa. Through the training session on 3D brachytherapy for cervical cancer, over 160 radiation oncologists, medical physicists, dosimetrists and radiation therapists improved their practical medical knowledge and skills in outlining a patient’s organs and the tumour(s) that need treatment. For a continent which faces a disproportionate burden of cervical cancer deaths, the IAEA’s virtual reality model helps promote the safe, effective and efficient treatment of this disease.

“The 3D virtual reality tool is a crucial innovation, especially for early-career oncology professionals learning brachytherapy procedures. This model offers a patient- and radiation-free environment for learners to practice. Its easy-to-use and installation-free nature makes it invaluable in regions where radiotherapy facilities may be limited,” emphasized Ntokozo Ndlovu, one of the  workshop participants.

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Combating Olive Oil Fraud with Nuclear Innovations

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The FT-NIR technique is a non-destructive chemical analysis technology which involves shining a beam containing many frequencies of light at a sample and measuring the absorption of near-infrared light. HS-GC-IMS involves analysing the gas layer above the sample, resulting in a 2D data matrix which can be used to compare samples to each other or a reference sample.

Scientists also were able to differentiate between 242 olive oils and identify their origin from four different regions of Lebanon with 89 per cent accuracy. Lebanese olive oil varies in quality and cost depending on its region of origin. In this case, a Fourier Transform infrared (IR) spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance technique was used, which measures the internal reflection of infrared light from interaction with a sample and processes the data using mathematical algorithms. All these techniques represent a rapid and non-destructive way to test products such as olive oil for adulteration or mislabelling.

The research on Slovenian olive oil was carried out as part of  an IAEA coordinated research project to develop more food authentication tests, for instance to reveal where the olives in extra-virgin olive oil were grown.

“Infra-Red spectroscopy and other techniques such as FT-NIR and HS-GC-IMS can be used to analyse the samples in the laboratory and directly in the field, it offers high sample throughput, low operational costs, requires little or no sample preparation, and no need for chemicals or specialized laboratory facilities,” said Christina Vlachou, Head of the Food Safety and Control Laboratory of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.

Building on the recent launch of Atoms4Food, a joint initiative of the IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), this year will see a gathering of food specialists from academia, public bodies, industry and commercial organizations at the International Symposium on Food Safety and Control. The Symposium, which will be held at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna from 27 to 31 May 2024 in collaboration with the FAO, will provide a forum for sharing cutting-edge research and innovation, exchanging information and discussing international initiatives and needs.

The year 2024 will also mark the 60th anniversary of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, a unique international partnership between the two organizations that supports the safe and appropriate use of nuclear and related technologies in food and agriculture to contribute to global food security and sustainable agricultural development worldwide.

New research to tackle food fraud and other innovations in food safety and control will be among the issues considered at the International Symposium on Food Safety and Control. The IAEA will continue, with the expertise of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, to support food safety and quality and forge partnerships under Atoms4Food.

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World’s First Nuclear Energy Summit

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Heads of State and Government will convene in Brussels on 21 March for the first-ever Nuclear Energy Summit. Co-chaired by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Belgium, the Summit spotlights the pivotal role of nuclear energy in tackling global challenges such as reducing reliance on fossil fuels, fortifying energy security and fostering economic progress.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will lead this inaugural Summit. It follows the landmark decision to incorporate nuclear energy into the Global Stocktake during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai in December 2023, underscoring the urgency to accelerate the deployment of nuclear energy alongside other low carbon energy sources.

Leaders from roughly 30 countries will take part in the Summit. International organizations, industry leaders, experts and representatives from think tanks and civil society will also participate.

The Summit will open with remarks by Prime Minister De Croo and Director General Grossi, followed by statements by Heads of State and Government, and the adoption of the Summit’s Declaration.

Media are welcome to cover the event, which will include a high-level press conference, scheduled to take place after the adoption of the Nuclear Energy Summit’s Declaration.   

In the afternoon, panel discussions among ministers, industry representatives and experts will address factors influencing nuclear capacity deployment, advancements in nuclear technology, innovation in the nuclear fuel cycle, and the establishment of a level playing field for financing nuclear power.

The Summit will be livestreamed.

Date

Thursday, 21 March 2024.

Venue

Brussels EXPO, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Brussels.

The Brussels EXPO is the site of the Atomium, a symbol of the peaceful use of nuclear energy for scientific purposes.

Media Accreditation

All media representatives wishing to attend the Summit must register before 16 March at www.nes2024.org.

The website contains further information about the Summit, including a detailed up-to-date programme and will be updated regularly.

Media Center

A media center and its facilities will be available from Thursday, 21 March from 7:30 to 20:00 at Brussels EXPO.

Media Access

Media are invited to cover the Summit and attend related media opportunities on 21 March.

Agenda*

  • 09:00 – 09:30 Arrival and doorstep (media interviews)
  • 09:30 – 09:45 Summit participants’ family photo
  • 09:45 – 11:45 Summit
    • Opening remarks by Prime Minister HE Mr Alexander De Croo and IAEA Director General Mr Rafael Mariano Grossi
    • Statements by the Heads of State and Government
    • Adoption of the Nuclear Energy Summit’s Declaration
  • 12:00 – 12:45 Press conference with PM De Croo and DG Grossi.

* Provisional Agenda – subject to change.

Press Conference Livestream

A live video stream of the press conference will be available on www.nes2024.org. The IAEA can provide full resolution video footage from the press conference. Photos will be available on Flickr.

Pre-Summit press briefing

A press briefing will be held prior to the Summit to provide information about the organization of the Summit and its objectives. Further information on this press briefing will be made available soon at www.nes2024.org.

Media Team Contacts

IAEA nuclear energy experts will be available for interviews at the Summit.

For interview requests and other media-related questions, please contact press@iaea.org.

To contact the press team of Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo please email press@premier.be.

Media Resources

More information on the Summit is available at www.iaea.org/events/nuclear-energy-summit-2024

The IAEA video team will be present at the Summit. B-roll footage of the event will be available, upon request. Please contact multimedia@iaea.org.

Additional B-roll video footage on nuclear power and applications is available, and high-resolution images can be found on the IAEA Flickr account. The IAEA will take photographs at the Summit and post them on Flickr.

This material is free to use under the copyright provisions of the IAEA Terms of Use. If you have further questions, please contact us.

The IAEA’s explainer articles, podcasts and other resources on nuclear energy are available on the IAEA website.

Follow the IAEA and #NES2024 on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X) and Weibo for updates throughout the Summit.

Follow Director General Grossi on Twitter (X) and Instagram.

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How Do Nuclear Techniques Help Crime Investigations?

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Ion beam analysis (IBA) is another nuclear method gaining ground in criminal investigations. For this kind of analysis, ion beam accelerators are used to speed up ions or electrons, producing a beam of charged particles. When samples of forensic evidence are placed into the ion beam, they emit radiation which can be picked up and analysed. Using ions enables investigators to understand the composition and origin of the sample, which can help to analyse drugs, explosive and gunshot residues, fake historical artifacts or art. Determining the age and composition of samples means they can be more effectively used  as evidence in investigations.

Gunshot residues, for example, can help to investigate violent crimes involving firearms. A gunshot residue is a cloud of vapours and particles released from the explosion of a cartridge in a firearm. Nuclear techniques, such as ion beam analysis, help to detect the inorganic components originating from the shot to detect tiny particles on items related to a shooting (e.g. on the suspect’s hands or clothes) in order to confirm the identity of the shooter.

IBA enables investigators to conduct elemental mapping, which helps in the analysis of specific parts of the evidence and detects tiny traces of incriminating substances, such as microscopic particles of residues on particularly small parts of clothing.

Ion beams have also been used to analyse glass shards from hit and run accidents, which could prove useful in investigations of crimes involving vehicles. Studies show that through a combination of IBA and machine learning, glass fragments from car windows can be traced back to various car models and manufacturers with up to 80 per cent accuracy.

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Cancer, Antimicrobial Resistance and Health Emergencies Highlighted by IAEA at WHO Meeting

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The IAEA is actively assisting low- and middle- income countries to increase access to cancer care as well as supporting other peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology in key health areas, the 154th Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) heard as Meena Singelee, Head of the IAEA Liaison Office in Geneva, delivered the IAEA’s statement. Over the past year, the IAEA worked closely with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other partners to study antimicrobial resistance; used nuclear techniques to combat malnutrition; and supported Ukraine in a health emergency, the WHO board heard. The longstanding and close partnership between the IAEA and the WHO was also highlighted in the IAEA’s statement to the board in Geneva.  

High-level delegates from ministries of health across the globe were informed of the progress made in providing assistance on cancer care to countries under the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, set up in 2022 by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi to widen access to diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy in countries where the need is greatest. In 2023, the IAEA initiative has delivered tangible results – from procuring specialized radiotherapy and medical imaging equipment to facilitating the training of 80 medical professionals and establishing the first Rays of Hope Anchor Centres in Africa, Asia and Europe. The Anchor Centres will support the cancer care capacities of neighbouring countries and create opportunities for regional, subregional and integrational advancement.  

The high-level delegates were also updated on the strong collaboration between the IAEA, the WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Ten cancer control assessments, known as imPACT Reviews, were coordinated by the IAEA in 2023 and conducted jointly with the IAEA, the WHO and the IARC to assist countries with their national cancer control plans.  

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World Cancer Day 2024: The IAEA Rays of Hope Initiative Call to Bridge the Cancer Care Gap Faster

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Bianca Muñiz, three-time cancer survivor was applauded by members of the audience for sharing her moving tale of hope at the IAEA event on cancer in February 2024. (Photo: D. Calma/IAEA)

Newly published data by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (Globocan 2022) show that cancer cases and deaths worldwide are increasing, not decreasing. “This tells me we need a different approach,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in his opening statement. “Through Rays of Hope we are doing just that — bringing together the different actors to deliver impactful and lasting change.”

The opening session of the Forum was livestreamed and followed by audience members worldwide in the context of World Cancer Day 2024. The two-day discussion continued with talks from actors at all levels of the cancer care continuum: research centres, cancer care institutions, governments, policymakers and the private sector.

Rays of Hope builds on many years of cancer support to countries, including through imPACT Review missions, national cancer control programmes and support for the preparation of strategic funding documents. Ten imPACT Reviews were coordinated by the IAEA in 2023 and conducted jointly with the IAEA, the WHO and the IARC to assist countries with their national cancer control plans.

The role of innovation and Anchor Centres was also highlighted during the event, with Deniz Yalman, a professor from Ege University in Türkiye — Europe’s only Anchor Centre — taking the floor in a session on the importance of guaranteeing sustainability and quality in cancer management. “The role of Anchor Centres is pivotal to ensure long term solutions that ensure a fully trained body of medical staff is ready to deliver nuclear medicine for diagnosis and treatment safely and securely in each region and country,” she confirmed.

Audience members also heard about other concrete solutions and directions that can accelerate the speed and scale of progress — examples of innovation and research which help cancer centres do more with the tools and techniques that they have; state-of-the-art learning platforms that catalyse education and training at scale; and much needed databases that generate novel insights for targeted and focused action.