Symposium : The First Nagasaki Symposium   The First Nagasaki Symposium of International Consortium for Medical Care of Hibakusha and Radiation Life Science The First Nagasaki Symposium of International Consortium for Medical Care of Hibakusha and Radiation Life Science was held on February 21-22, 2003 at Pompe van Meerdervoort Hall, Nagasaki University School of Medicine to commemorate that the International Consortium for Medical Care of Hibakusha and Radiation Life Science was selected as one of the COE programs for the year of 2002 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The number of participants amounted to more than 120, including guests, delegates from universities and institutes which have joined or are to join the consortium and domestic researchers inside and outside the university, and the symposium was led to success. The opening ceremony of the symposium was commenced with the opening address by Dr. Hiroshi Saito, President of Nagasaki University, followed by addresses of five guests, Dr. Junko Matsubara (Vice Chairperson, Nuclear Safety Commission), Dr. Shigenobu Nagataki (President, Radiation Council), Dr. Yasuhito Sasaki (President, National Institute of Radiological Sciences), Dr. Yoshiro Aoki (Chairman, Radiation Effects Association) and Dr. Ohtsura Niwa (President, Japan Radiation Research Society), and ended with introduction to the COE program by Prof. Masao Tomonaga, Project Leader. The symposium ended the scientific program of the first day with keynote lectures given by Prof. emeritus Masao S. Sasaki (Kyoto University), Prof. Geraldine A. Thomas (South West Wales Cancer Institute) and Prof. James E. Trosko (Michigan State University). On the second day of the symposium, a total of 16 papers were presented at the three sessions of “Overview of studies on atomic bomb survivors,” “Current results and future plans of epidemiological studies in global radio-contaminated areas” and “Present state and future plans of research in the area of low level radiation biology.” Each paper was discussed actively and the International Consortium for Medical Care of Hibakusha and Radiation Life Science has embarked on full-scale activity. Two 1-day international seminars within the frameworks of International Consortium for Radiatio Medicine and Epidemiology and International Consortium for Radiation Life Science were held on February 20 and 23, 2003, respectively as satellite meetings of the symposium. A number of papers were presented at respective seminars by young scientists including graduate students of the university as well as overseas and domestic participants of the symposium, and ideas about future activities in the two consortiums were exchanged actively. Papers presented at the symposium and the two seminars were compiled and published by Elsevier, Amsterdam in November 2003 as the symposium proceedings entitled Radiation and Humankind. The program of the symposium was as follows. Program Venue: Pompe van Meerdervoort Hall Nagasaki University School of Medicine Day 1 (21 February) 10:00-11:10 Opening ceremony Chair: Shunichi Yamashita, Nagasaki University 10:00-10:40 Opening address   Hiroshi Saito, President, Nagasaki University Addresses   Junko Matsubara, Vice Chairperson, Nuclear Safety Commission Shigenobu Nagataki, President, Radiation Council Yasuhito Sasaki, President, National Institute of Radiological Sciences Yoshiro Aoki, Chairman, Radiation Effects Association Ohtsura Niwa, President, Japan Radiation Research Society 10:40-11:10 Introduction to COE program   The International Consortium for Medical Care of Hibakusha and Radiation Life Science: its concept, structure and planning Masao Tomonaga, Project Leader, Nagasaki University   11:10-13:00 Group photo, Lunch, Press conference   13:00-15:30 Keynote lectures Chair: Yutaka Okumura, Nagasaki University Radioadaptive response and genomic instability: a phenotypic dichotomy of genome-environment interaction Masao S. Sasaki, Kyoto University The Chernobyl Tissue Bank--integrating international research on thyroid cancer Geraldine A. Thomas, South West Wales Cancer Institute, UK Hallmarks of radiations carcinogenesis: ignored concepts James E. Trosko, Michigan State University, USA   15:30-16:00 Coffee break   16:00-17:00 Facility tour   18:30-20:30 Reception Day 2 (22 February) 9:00-12:00 Chair: Kuniaki Hayashi, Nagasaki University and Victor Ivanov, Medical Radiological Research Center of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Russia Overview of studies on atomic bomb survivors The researches at Nagasaki University on atomic bomb survivors Ichiro Sekine, Nagasaki University The scientific program of RERF Burton G. Bennett, Radiation Effects Research Foundation Current results and future plans of epidemiological studies in global radio-contaminated areas Risk of radiogenic malignant and benign thyroid diseases for the population of the Oryol oblast after the Chernobyl accident: outcome of large-scale epidemiological studies Victor Ivanov, Medical Radiological Research Center of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Russia Distinctive features of somatic gene mutagenesis and apoptosis in radiation exposed individuals and cancer patients Alexander Saenko, Medical Radiological Research Center of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Russia Overview of research and future prospects in radiation medicine based on the current health status in Belarus Pavel Bespalchuk, Belarusian State Medical University, Republic of Belarus Thyroid gland and radiation (Ukraine-U.S. Thyroid Project) Mykola D. Tronko, Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine Medical consequences of the Chernobyl NPP accident in Ukraine--reality and planning for future Volodymyr Bebeshko, Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine Current results and future plans of epidemiological and clinical studies and rehabilitation of the population in the eastern region of Kazakhstan Murat Teleiov, Semipalatinsk State Medical Academy, Kazakhstan Data of morphological investigation of some organs of endocrine and immune systems of the inhabitants of Semipalatinsk region Yuriy Pruglo, Semipalatinsk State Medical Academy, Kazakhstan   12:00-13:30 Lunch   13:30-15:50 Chair: Masami Watanabe, Nagasaki University and James E. Trosko, Michigan State University, USA Present state and future plans of research in the area of low level radiation biology Genomic instability, susceptibility genes, and carcinogenesis Robert L. Ullrich, Colorado State University, USA Ionizing radiation-induced signaling pathways Alex J. van der Eb, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands Application of microbeam techniques in low-dose radiation biology Barry D. Michael, Gray Cancer Institute, UK Perpetuating radiation-induced genomic instability William F. Morgan, University of Maryland, USA Development of photon microbeam irradiation system for radiobiology Katsumi Kobayashi, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization The European Masters of Science course in radiation biology Kevin M. Prise, Gray Cancer Institute, UK Untargeted and delayed mutation in F1 mice born to irradiated spermatozoa and genomic cross-talk in sperm irradiated zygotes Ohtsura Niwa, Kyoto University   15:50-16:10 Coffee break   16:10-16:50 General discussion Chair: Masao Tomonaga and Masami Watanabe, Nagasaki University   16:50 Closing remarks Masao Tomonaga, Nagasaki University