John B. Little Center for Radiation Sciences
The JBL Center supports cutting edge biological, physical, and population-based epidemiological research to understand, interpret, and estimate the health effects of radiation to pave the way for effective preventive and therapeutic strategies.
665 Huntington Ave, |
Boston, MA 02115
JBL Symposium XXIX – 2026
“Innovations in Radiation Sciences“
Friday, October 30, 2026, 1PM-5PM in Kresge Auditorium at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health with poster session and reception immediately following.
The JBL Center for Radiation Sciences is pleased to host this year’s JBL Symposium at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
The title of this year’s Symposium is “Innovations in Radiation Sciences,” and will be held in the afternoon on Friday, October 30th, 2026, at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts.
This annual event, initiated by the late Dr. Jack Little and held at the Harvard School of Public Health for 29 years, seeks to foster the dissemination of information and interaction between scientists working in fields related to radiation sciences.
Program
1:00–1:05pm: Welcome
- Zachary Nagel & Kristopher Sarosiek
Hosts of the John B. Little Symposium
1:05–1:10pm: Opening Remarks
- Dean Andrea Baccarelli
Dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
1:10–1:20pm: Introduction to “Innovations in Radiation Sciences” & Speaker and Topic Introduction
- Hosts of the John B. Little Symposium
1:20–2:05pm: Spooky Action at a Distance: Unexpected Effects of Radiotherapy
- Ralph Weichselbaum, MD
Ludwig Distinguished Service Professor of Radiation and Cellular Oncology and Chair of the Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology at the University of Chicago / UChicago Medicine
2:05–2:15pm: Speaker and Topic Introduction
- Hosts of the John B. Little Symposium
2:15–3:00pm: Understanding and Exploiting DNA Repair Mechanisms in IDH-mutant Glioma
- Diana Shi, MD
Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
3:00–3:35pm: Coffee Break and Poster Setup
3:35–3:45pm: Speaker and Topic Introduction
- Hosts of the John B. Little Symposium
3:45–4:30pm: The Senescent Microenvironment After Radiation: From Normal Tissue Injury to Tumor Regrowth
- Deborah E. Citrin, MD
Scientific Director for Clinical Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center for Cancer Research (CCR); Senior Investigator, Radiation Oncology Branch
4:30–4:50pm: A patient’s perspective
4:50–5:00pm: Closing
- Hosts of the John B. Little Symposium
5:00–6:00pm: Reception & Poster Session
Poster Session
If you’d like to present a poster at the 2026 Symposium, please complete this JBL Symposium Poster Presentation Request.
Location Info
The JBL Symposium is being held in the Snyder Auditorium, which is located within the Kresge Building at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. You can enter Harvard Chan School of Public Health either from Huntington Avenue (entrance in the FXB Building at 655 Huntington Ave., Boston MA 02115) or from the Harvard Medical School Quad (entrance in the Kresge Building, facing the back of Countway Library). Please see the map below.
Once you enter the building, please follow the signs for the JBL Symposium and the Snyder Auditorium.
2025 Highlights
The 2025 JBL Symposium focused on the theme of, “The Spectrum of Exposure: Radiation from Routine to Rare Events.”
