PSR Concludes First Nuclear Weapons and Radiation: Health Risks and Advocacy Course!  February 23, 2026

From November 3, 2025 to February 2, 2026, PSR, in coordination with the Generational Radiation Impact Project, successfully launched and concluded our eleven week Nuclear Weapons & Radiation: Health Risks & Advocacy training for health professionals. Meeting weekly online, the course brought together leading scientific experts, frontline community voices, and experienced advocates to examine the full spectrum of radiation and nuclear weapons harms. From the biological foundations of radiation exposure to the medical consequences of nuclear weapons use, testing, uranium mining, plutonium production, and nuclear energy accidents we covered a wide array of topics related to the health risks of nuclear weapons. Participants learned from distinguished speakers including Dr. Tilman Ruff, Dr. Masao Tomonaga, Dr. Ira Helfand, Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes, Dr. MV Ramana, Dr. Timothy Mousseau, Mary Olson, and Tina Cordova, among many others.

The curriculum moved from core science and historical case studies to disproportionate impacts on Indigenous communities and gendered differences in exposure, as well as the intersections between nuclear weapons policy and the climate crisis. Sessions also highlighted PSR’s historic leadership in research and advocacy, equipping participants with a clear understanding of the humanitarian, environmental, and public health consequences of nuclear weapons across their lifecycle. The final weeks focused on practical advocacy skills, including storytelling, media engagement, policy influence, and pathways for professional action as health advocates.

Beyond the substantive content, the course intentionally fostered community and collaboration. Through breakout discussions and interactive Q&A sessions, attendees built meaningful relationships across disciplines and geographies. By the program’s conclusion, participants joined a growing network of health professionals prepared to bring a strong, science-based health voice to efforts advancing a nuclear-weapons-free world.

If you missed out on this course, we’re excited to share that we will be running another instance of it later this year. Stay tuned for more updates and information. Additionally, if you’d like to be part of an international community learning about similar topics related to health and nuclear weapons, you can register for IPPNW’s Global Classroom, a new initiative with monthly training seminars on topics related to global health and nuclear disarmament.