I serve on three international commissions on the environment of the oceans. I've had an opportunity to travel all over the world and collaborate with some of the best scientists. I have close friends and colleagues in the U.S., Canada, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, the former Soviet Union, Japan, China and Africa. From my cultural background I am attuned to differences, as I was taught not to assume that my cultural values are better than those of the countries I visit. I've become a citizen of the world.
Radiation biology encompasses studies from the molecular level to ecosystem studies.
I am working to understand more about the environment of the deep oceans of the world, and how man can affect our environment both positively and negatively. Right now I am working on a project studying the pollution of the Arctic Ocean by radioactive releases from the former Soviet Union. All the Russian rivers run north, so any pollution in the river system eventually ends up in the Arctic Ocean. My coworkers and I are also concerned with the transport of radioactive materials across the oceans to Alaska and how it affects ocean life. We are also collaborating with Japan, where a lot of seafood is eaten.