Background

The John B. Little Center for Radiation Sciences (JBL) has been a pioneer in the field of radiation research since its establishment at the Harvard School of Public Health as a result of the philanthropy of Dr. Gerald Chan. The center is named for John Bertram Little, MD, previously the James Stevens Simmons Professor of Radiobiology and Dr. Chan’s mentor. He was the founder of the Radiation Biology Program at Harvard and the visionary leader for the Radiation Biology Training Grant which began in 1975 and continued for 35 years. An international figure in the field of radiobiology, Dr. Little, a board-certified radiologist, served on the editorial boards of many scientific journals, received multiple scientific awards, and earned citations and renown for his intellectual accomplishments, including as a prolific author or co-author of more than 525 scientific papers, a skilled mentor, and a collegial leader.

An additional gift from Zhengdong Zhu supported the center’s efforts to develop the unbiased and comprehensive scientific evidence needed to understand the biological impact of ionizing radiation, explore the adaptive and maladaptive responses, and address the health outcomes and public concerns, while also developing evidence-based public health policy. This generous gift broadened the center’s reach and scope, enabling it to become a school-wide center that includes multiple Harvard Chan departments, other schools at Harvard University, and many hospitals in the broader Harvard community. The center is also establishing more international partnerships to deepen existing collaborative agreements, including our established relationship with Hiroshima University. By providing critical resources for research and training, the center is an intellectual home for investigators interested in radiation research. It is our hope and conviction that our center will lead a collective effort to strengthen radiation science in the United States and become a global center of excellence for radiation research and training.