Laboratory   of   Radiation   Biology   JINR

Director Laboratory of Radiation Biology, JINR

Evgeny Aleksandrovich Krasavin, Corresponding Member of Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, 1942 of birth.

E.A. Krasavin began his scientific career in 1968 when he entered a postgraduate program in the specialty "Radiobiology" at the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems (IMBP) of the Soviet Union's Ministry of Health. His research was focused on the influence of accelerated heavy ions on bacterial cells. In 1971, E.A. Krasavin defended ahead of time a dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Medical Sciences and got a job at the IMBP.

In 1980, E.A. Krasavin was offered a position at JINR to organize work in heavy charged particle radiobiology at the Biological Research Sector established at the Laboratory of Nuclear Problems. Under his supervision, a program of radiobiological research with multi-charged ions was worked out and the "Genome" installation was assembled for irradiating biological objects at heavy ion beams of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions. The main aim of this work was to study the mechanisms underlying the differences in the biological effectiveness of radiation in a wide LET range. In heavy ion beam experiments on cells with different levels of the genetic apparatus organization (microorganisms; mammalian and human cells in culture), one of the central problems of radiobiology was solved: the problem of relative biological effectiveness (RBE). In 1985, E.A. Krasavin defended a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Biological Sciences, which was entitled "Mechanisms underlying the differences in the biological effectiveness of radiation with different physical characteristics", and was appointed Head of the Biological Research Sector. A large cycle of works in this field was summarized in his monograph "RBE problem and DNA repair" (Moscow: Energoatomizdat, 1989; in Russian).

On E.A. Krasavin's initiative and with the support of the JINR Directorate, the Biological Research Sector of the Laboratory of Nuclear Problems was reorganized into the Biophysics Department. The main task of the new unit was research on the mechanisms of induced mutagenesis – a key problem in modern biology. In 1990, the title of Professor was conferred on E.A. Krasavin.

In 1995, on E.A. Krasavin's initiative, on the basis of the Biophysics Department of the Laboratory of Nuclear Problems and the JINR Department of Radiation Protection and Radiation Research, the Department of Radiation and Radiobiological Research (DRRR) was established. In radiobiology, the main task of JINR's new structure was to study the genetic effect of ionizing radiation with different physical properties. In 1996, E.A. Krasavin's achievements in science and in research organization were marked with a State award – a medal to the order "For Services for the Country" of the second degree; in 2001, E.A. Krasavin was given the honorary title "Moscow Region's Distinguished Person of Science and Technology."

In 2004, at E.A. Krasavin's suggestion and with the support of the JINR Directorate, work was begun to form a new Laboratory of the Institute: the Laboratory of Radiation Biology (LRB), which was opened in 2005. The establishment of the LRB gave a new impulse for the development of radiobiological research at JINR. E.A. Krasavin proposed a biological research program at JINR's basic facilities, which included molecular genetic studies (DNA damage and repair in different cell types; the mutation process at the gene and chromosome level); molecular and physiological studies of the effect of high-energy heavy ions (damaging the eye lens and retina; disorders in the structure and functions of the central nervous system); mathematical modeling of biophysical systems (modeling of the spatial structure of biological macromolecules with molecular dynamics methods; genetic network-based modeling of the mutation process). In 2006, E.A. Krasavin was awarded the honorary badge "Russian Federation's Distinguished Person of Science and Technology." The research performed during recent years under the direction of E.A. Krasavin was summed up in two Doctoral theses and awarded with JINR's Second Prize for 2008.

E.A. Krasavin authored more than 200 scientific papers and two monographs. Under his supervision, three Doctoral and 14 Candidate's theses were defended. He carries on active teaching work training specialists in radiobiology. Since 1998, E.A. Krasavin has been heading the Department of Biophysics, which he established at Dubna University. The Department offers postgraduate programs in the specialty of Radiobiology. There were five graduations of certified specialists in Human and Environmental Radiation Protection. The Department's graduates successfully work in Russia and countries of Europe and America.

In the second half of 2008, E.A. Krasavin presented results of radiobiological research carried out at JINR and prospects of work to a special session of the Section of Biological Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SBS RAS), where they were highly appraised. A general meeting of the Section unanimously supported an initiative of the SBS RAS Bureau and passed a resolution on the LRB scientific and methodological supervision by SBS RAS (resolution 5 of December 15, 2008). This major step brings JINR's radiobiological research, which E.A. Krasavin has been heading for almost 30 years, to a new level.