Radiation: Should You Be Afraid?

One of the apparent mysteries of the modern world is the impact of ionizing radiation on the human body and on everything around us. Is our wifi signal trying to kill us? Should we put crystals in our rooms to absorb radiation from our TVs? Will your dog grow six legs if it is exposed to radiation? Cassandra Miller will explain what ionizing radiation really is, how it causes cancer, and whether or not you should avoid it at absolutely all costs.

Cassandra Miller is a PhD Student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of British Columbia. Her research is focused on peptide receptor radionuclide therapies that treat neuroendocrine tumours, particularly if dual-isotope therapies with Lu-177 and Y-90 can be accurately imaged using nuclear medicine techniques. Before coming to UBC, she completed an Honours Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Toronto in Astrophysics, her thesis focusing on the Cepheid variable star mass discrepancy. She’s also done research with various international high energy physics collaborations such as the ATLAS experiment at CERN and the T2K experiment.