Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor
Balonov Mikhail I., Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Medical Organizations’ Radiation Hygiene Laboratory of St. Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P. V. Ramzaev, the Member of the Russian National Commission on Radiological Protection and of the International Commission on Radiological Protection ( ICRP, 2001 -2013 ).
Upon graduation from Leningrad Polytechnic Institute on speciality of “ Isotope Separation and Application Technologies” Balonov M.I. since 1967 had worked as the physicist engineer and since 1972 as the Senior Researcher in St. Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P. V. Ramzaev.
At that time period he had conducted a groundbreaking study of Tritium inorganic and organic compounds’ effect upon human beings and experimental animals - exchange kinetics, radiobiological and genetic effects. Those data received global recognition and had become the basis for the national and global radiological safety norms. The obtained results were summarized in the monograph (1983 ) and were used in the Candidate’s ( 1973 ) and the Doctoral ( 1986 ) thesis. At that period Balonov M.I. had received five inventor’s certificates.
Since 1986 Balonov M.I. entirely dedicated himself to the objectives of assessment and rectification of Chernobyl NPP accident. Since 1988 he had been the Ecological Department Head of St. Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P. V. Ramzaev. On that capacity he had organized and conducted himself the radio-environmental monitoring . He had also studied the regularities of population’s internal and external exposure dose formation and had developed population’s protection measures for Russian territories radionuclide contaminated after Chernobyl NPP accident. He initiated the creation of the series of methodological documents on Russian Federation population exposure dose estimation and publication of dose reference-books identifying contaminated territories population’s exposure as well as the future forecasts.
The results of Balonov M.I. and his associates’ Chernobyl studies were used for making governmental decisions on protection and medical follow-up of the residents in contaminated territories. In 2000 and 2008 the Chernobyl studies’ publications were widely used in the reports of United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation ( UNSCEAR ) .
In 1990-s Russian Healthcare Ministry commissioned Balonov M.I. to organize field studies in a number of Russian regions affected by radiation during the establishment of USSR atomic sector as well as development and testing of nuclear weapons: in Cheliabinsk region at Mayak Production Association, in the Russian Arctic Region due to the USSR nuclear submarine fleet and nuclear tests, in Barnaul Region affected by Semipalatinsk testing ground. Those studies resulted in development and implementation of recommendations on radiological and social protection of the above mentioned regions’ population.
In 1990 Balonov M.I. as the radiological protection expert was elected as the member of USSR National Radiological Protection Commission, in 1992 - as the member of Russian Scientific Commission on Radiological Protection. Between 2001 and 2013 he was the member International Commission on Radiological Protection ( ICRP ). He proactively participated in the development of new radiological protection methods and preparation of ICRP’s international recommendations.
From 2000 to 2006 Balonov M.I. had worked in the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA )’ Radiological Safety Department as the unit head. He was the scientific editor of the UN Chernobyl Forum proceedings and of 2008 UNSCEAR Report dedicated to the results of the Chernobyl studies. Throughout the work in IAEA he developed a number of international safety standards and devised publications on different aspects of population’s radiological protection and organized several international conferences. In cooperation with the World Health Organization he also developed the international guidelines radionuclide content in foodstuffs and potable water. As IAEA team member he was awarded the Nobel’s Piece Prize. In 2006 the US National Commission on Radiological Protection awarded Balonov M.I. a diploma and memorial sign for reading a prestigeous Sinclair’s lecture “The retrospective analyses of Chernobyl disaster consequences”.
In 2007 Balonov M.I. had become the Head of Medical Organizations’ Radiation Hygiene Laboratory in St. Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P. V. Ramzaev. The laboratory mostly deals with the estimation of Russian Federation population’s medical exposure levels and with the scientific methods of medical personnel and patients’ radiological safety during ionizing radiation –based medical tests mindful of upgraded medical equipment and state-of the-art high dose technologies.
Under Balonov's M.I. leadership the radiological protection in medicine was optimized and the national regulatory base was streamlined and harmonized with the international requirements and recommendations.
The international organizations invite Balonov M.I. as the expert for decision making on important scientific – practical issues which evolved after 2011 Japanese Fukushima – Daiichi nuclear disaster. Mindful of Balonov's M.I. high professional authority the Japanese government invited him to provide consultations on radiological protection and Japanese population exposure dose estimation after Fukushima- Daiichi NPP accident. Presently Balonov M.I. is the member of UNSCEAR and IAEA report preparing working groups on Fukushima- 1 NPP accident consequences mitigation.
Balonov M.I. is the Editorial Board Member of the Radiation Hygiene Journal and the International Journal of the Radiological Protection. He is also a peer – reviewer of different international journals: “Health Physics”, “ Journal of Environmental Radioactivity”, “ Journal of Radiological Protection” and others. He is the author of about 260 scientific publications, including 11 monographs and reference-books, 36 regulatory- methodological documents and five inventions.
The aggregate Russian Science Citation Index is 888, the Hirsch index - 13.
Under Balonov's M.I. leadership one doctoral and seven candidate thesises were defended in the sphere of hygiene, radiological biology and radiological environment.
Balonov M.I. was assigned the title of ‘ the High Achiever in Healthcare “. He was awarded a Medal for Lifesaving and the memorial medal after Professor P. V. Ramzaev ‘for the Contribution into the Development of Radiation Hygiene “. In 2015 the US National Radiological Protection Commission awarded Balonov M.I. the Sinclair’s medal.
