Forum to be held on How Medical Radioisotopes are Made

TORONTO , Dec. 7 /CNW/ - The shortage of medical radioisotopes, especially of Molybdenum 99, continues to be a challenge. The problems with the NRU reactor at Chalk River are still in the news while the cancellation of the MAPLE project remains in the memory of many Canadians.

A number of organizations in Canada have proposed new or modified methods for the production of these radioisotopes. These proposals have been reviewed by an Expert Panel established by the Minister of Natural Resources Canada last May. Natural Resource Canada released the report by that Panel on December 3, 2009 .

Separate from that review, the Canadian Nuclear Society has organized a Workshop, to be held in Ottawa , December 10 and 11, at which experts from various organizations will discuss technical aspects of the different production methods.

Although this will be a technical and scientific event, it will be an open forum and interested persons are invited to register and attend.

Following is the list of speakers:

    
    -   Terry Jamieson, Vice President, Technical Support Branch, Canadian
        Nuclear Safety Commission
    -   Dr. Frédéric Stichelbaut, Manager, Research and Development, IBA
    -   Dr. Tim Meyer, Head, Strategic Planning and Communications, TRIUMF
    -   Dr. Tom Ruth, Senior Research Scientist, TRIUMF and BC Cancer Agency
    -   Dr. Kennedy Mang'era, Director, Radiopharmacy, Health Sciences
        Center, Winnipeg RHA
    -   Dr. John Barnard, Director, Research and Technology, ACSION
        Industries
    -   Dr. Carl Ross, Group Leader, Ionizing Radiation Standards Group,
        National Research Council Canada
    -   Tom Burnett, Global Marketing Director, Radiotherapy and Medical
        Isotopes, MDS Nordion
    -   Dr. Richard Florizone, Vice-President Finance, University of
        Saskatchewan
    -   Dr. Richard Coats, Sandia National Laboratories, USA
    -   Dr. Marcelo Salvatore, Manager, Strategic Operations - Nuclear,
        INVAP, Argentina
    -   Dr. Dean Chapman, Canada Research Chair in X-Ray Imaging, University
        of Saskatchewan
    -   Dr. Chris Heysel, Director, Nuclear Operations and Facilities,
        McMaster University
    -   Dr. Robert deKemp, Associate Professor & Head Imaging Physicist,
        Cardiac Imaging, University of Ottawa Heart Institute
    

The keynote dinner speaker will be Serge Dupont, Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (Privy Council Office), and Special Advisor to the Minister of Natural Resources on Nuclear Energy Policy.

Further information, including on-line registration, is available on the website of the Canadian Nuclear Society www.cns-snc.ca.

The Canadian Nuclear Society is an organization of over 1200 professional individuals involved or interested in nuclear science and technology and their applications.

For further information: Fred Boyd, tel. [phone], email: [email protected]