Meeting the Challenges in the Practice of Radiation Protection

2022 International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) North American Regional Congress

February 20–24, 2022 | St. Louis, Missouri

This coming February, the Canadian Radiation Protection Association (CRPA) joins with the Health Physics Society (HPS), the American Academy of Health Physics (AAHP), the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), the American Nuclear Society (ANS), the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD), the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), and the Mexican Society of Irradiation and Dosimetry (SMID) to host the first-ever North American Regional Congress for the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA). This will be a hybrid event held both virtually and in person in St. Louis, Missouri.

Scientific program

The conference will include talks covering a wide range of health physics interests, as well as several training opportunities throughout. Topics include:

Scientific Basis of Health Physics

• Biological effects of radiation
• Epidemiology of radiation exposure

Characterization of Radiation Exposures

• External dosimetry
• Internal dosimetry
• Environmental and wildlife dosimetry
• Instrumentation and measurements

Non-ionizing Radiation/5G

Applied Health Physics

• Nuclear facilities
• Medical health physics
• Veterinary health physics
• Military health physics
• Environmental health physics
• Natural radioactivity
• Space radiation
• Disasters in health physics

Regulations and Communications

• Regulatory issues
• Communications with the public

Homeland Security and Emergency Response

Reasonableness in Health Physics

Health Physicists’ Response to a Pandemic

Controversies in medical health physics

Awards

The Young Scientists and Professionals Awards will be presented in the closing ceremony of the regional congress. The purpose of these awards is to promote professional development and recognize the accomplishments made by early-career scientists and professionals working in radiation protection in all its subfields.

For more information, visit the congress website.

Social events

IRPA Night Out

IRPA will be hosting a night out for all attendees to relax and socialize at the Broadway Oyster Bar on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.

If you are looking for live local St. Louis music and Cajun-themed food, then come on out! A limited menu will be available beforehand to preorder food selections. The price of food will be included in the ticket, and drinks will be available for purchase at the venue.

Check out the Broadway Oyster Bar website for more information.

Technical Tour

February 24, 2022

IRPA is pleased to offer a technical tour on the last day of the conference. Details will be provided at a later date.

Breweries

Beer lovers of all kinds can find joy in St. Louis’s local breweries—Schlafly, 4 Hands, Square One Brewery and Distillery, and Urban Chestnut are craft breweries within a 10-minute drive of the conference venue.

St. Louis is also home to the original Anheuser-Busch brewery, built in 1852 by a German immigrant. Schedule a tour of the brewery and see the Budweiser Clydesdales that were used to deliver beer in the 19^th century.

The Gateway Arch

Known as the “Gateway to the West,” the arch is an architectural feat that should be at the top of your to-do list when visiting St. Louis. Get together with a group of fellow attendees to ride the tram to the top of the arch, or explore the museum below. Tickets sell out early, so make sure to buy tickets before you arrive!

Mardi Gras in St. Louis

With Mardi Gras celebrated in St. Louis from January 6 to March 1, you can be sure to find some themed celebrations about town:

• Taste of Soulard, February 19–20
• Purina Pet Parade, February 20
• Tito’s Vodka Wiener Dog Derby (a fan favourite), February 20
• Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball, February 25

To find out more about the Mardi Gras celebrations, visit the Soulard Mardi Gras website.

Accommodations

The conference will be held at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel.

The conference hotel occupies the original Union Station. It features activities for all ages and provides a great opportunity to bring your family to explore St. Louis without ever leaving the hotel! It connects to the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station and the St. Louis Wheel and is just minutes away from Enterprise Center, Stifel Theatre, Busch Stadium, the Gateway Arch, Lumière Place Casino, and the Dome at America’s Center.

The aquarium offers opportunities to learn about Missouri’s local freshwater rivers and aquatic animals. It features a 250,000-gallon marine habitat with sharks of all shapes and sizes, and mysterious deep sea creatures such as octopi and jellyfish.

Take a ride on the St. Louis Wheel, a 200-foot-high observation wheel that is fully enclosed and boasts views of the St. Louis skyline. Families may also enjoy the Union Station Carousel, mini golf, the mirror maze, and the ropes course, all in the conference hotel building.

For accommodations information, visit the hotel website.

Pack your bags

You’re in for amazing accommodations, a fantastic scientific program, and great food and music in the company of fellow radiation safety colleagues from across North America.

Join us to:

• Expand your knowledge and find solutions to problems you may be facing.
• Engage in networking and meet new people in radiation protection—you never know when that new connection may prove to be a valuable resource.
• Learn about radiation safety topics outside your typical health physics practice.

If you are as excited as we are about this conference, start making your travel plans and join us in St. Louis!