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Sara Dumit
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Once every year, around 30–40 Nobel Laureates convene in Lindau, Germany, to meet the next generation of leading scientists: 600 undergraduates, PhD students, and postdoc researchers from all over the world. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings foster the exchange among scientists of different generations, cultures, and disciplines. The meetings focus alternately on physiology and medicine, on physics, and on chemistry—the three natural science Nobel Prize disciplines. Especially this year, the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting's theme will be interdisciplinary and will take place as an online event with a very comprehensive and interactive online anniversary program for Nobel Laureates and young scientists.

Health Physics Society member Sara Dumit, a researcher and health physicist from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), will be participating virtually in the 70th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting from 27 June to 2 July.

Dumit, whose research centers on developing models of chelation in humans, is among the leading theorists working to better understand the biological effects of plutonium intakes and chelation therapy. Her interdisciplinary work requires knowledge of the chemical reactions occurring in different organs, the physics of nuclear decays, the physiology of the human body, and drug kinetics. Such models do not currently exist and Dumit's research, in collaboration with other experts world-wide, will expand our knowledge of how chelation therapy affects the human body after plutonium intakes. Interdisciplinary work can expand one's profession scope of concern.

Dumit's work is not limited to studying plutonium intakes and chelation therapy. In fact, she is interested in additional areas of research, such as psychology, communication, and education. Dumit is currently collaborating on a research project about effective communication with radiation workers and developing educational materials to help LANL radiation workers better understand the health effects of internal radiation exposure, including topics such as radionuclide intakes during childbearing years.

"I am truly honored to be selected to attend such a prestigious scientific meeting," Dumit said. "I will have the unique opportunity to exchange knowledge with scientists from all around the world and the Nobel Laureates—a fascinating cross-generational, cultural, and interdisciplinary exchange."