AWARDEE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES AND MATERIA MEDICA PRIZE

WU DECHANG

Wu Dechang, toxicologist and expert in radiological protection, he graduated with a chemistry degree from Beijing University in 1949 and began working as teaching assistant and later on as a lecturer in Peking Union Medical College the same year;He was chosen by Ministry of Health of China to go to former Soviet Union to study radiation medicine in 1956. After getting back, he started working in Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS) as associate professor, professor, director of Toxicology Department, dean of Institute of Radiation Medicine, vice president and president of AMMS. He is now a professor and a Ph. D advisor in AMMS. He served as president of Chinese Society of Toxicology, president of Chinese Society of Radiological medicine and protection, vice president of Chinese Radiation Protection Association. He was a member of the first committee of International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), vice representative and consultant of Chinese government for UNSCEAR, Editor of International Journal of Radiological,etc.
Wu Dechang is an internationally well-known toxicologist and radiological protection expert and one of the founders and blazers of toxicology and radiological protection studies in China. He founded the first radiation toxicology laboratory in China, illustrated for the first time in China the contamination patterns of radioactive fallouts, the hazards posed by the fallouts, suggested protection measures, and was awarded the special National Award for Scientific and Technological achievement due to the work. Started from 1970s, he ventured the study about the physical and chemical properties of fission products and nuclear fuel plutonium, their metabolism internal dose and toxicities, provided the theoretical guide for radiological protection measures. He has important creative finding in lung, target cells of radiation induced oncogenesis and oncogenesis in lymph node. In 1980s, he presided over the study of medical emergent response dealing with nuclear accident, which is the most systematic and thorough study in this field, and was awarded the national award for scientific and technological achievement. Starting from 1990s, his lab focused their study on the molecular mechanism of radiation (α particles) oncogenesis and has got good progress. Wu Dechang authored and co-authored 210 papers, authored and co-authored 7 books, mentored more than 20 graduate students.