How Precision Medicine Might Better Serve Downwinders

Despite the advances in developing nuclear weapons and other technologies, not much is known about the long-term effects of radiation on human health. In a world where nuclear energy could help curb carbon emissions, it almost seems paradoxical that its possible long-term risks and impacts to human health are still poorly understood. While researchers have investigated the effects of acute radiation in the aftermath of nuclear incidents such as Chernobyl, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Fukushima, more needs to be done to understand the impacts of long-term and low-dose nuclear radiation. Studying the downwinders from the Nevada Test Site could offer one window to investigate those myriad effects.