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History Happy Hour: Doctor on Call: Chernobyl Responder, Jewish Refugee, Radiation Expert
Thursday, March 24, 2022 at 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In a true-life drama pitted against a lack of disaster preparedness and bureaucratic mismanagement, Dr. Alla Shapiro relays her first-hand experience as a first physician-responder to the worst nuclear disaster in history: the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station in Ukraine on April 26, 1986.
Dr. Shapiro, a physician, Soviet Jewish refugee, and most recently an author, will share excerpts from her memoir, Doctor on Call: Chernobyl Responder, Jewish Refugee, Radiation Expert (2021). Her story is one of extraordinary resilience in the face of adversity. As a first physician-responder in a pivotal moment in global history, she was forced to engage in bureaucratic lies and cover-ups within the Soviet government, and endure personal and professional discrimination as a Jewish citizen in the USSR. Dr. Shapiro will share how her passion for medicine and love of family gave her the strength to ultimately use her difficult experiences to benefit humanity.
This History Happy Hour is hybrid! You can attend in person or virtually. We are bringing back happy hour beer and snacks for in-person attendees.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Alla Shapiro’s background is in pediatric hematology and oncology. From 2003 to 2019, Dr. Shapiro worked at the Office of Counter-Terrorism and Emergency Coordination at the US Food and Drug Administration. She focused on facilitating the development and availability of medical countermeasures against radiation exposure. Dr. Shapiro provided early advice to drug developers attempting to advance safe and effective countermeasures. Motivated by her experiences as a physician-responder at Chernobyl, Dr. Alla Shapiro became one of the world’s leading experts in developing drugs against radiation exposure.
For accommodation requests, please contact the museum via email or at 301-774-0022.
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