Caleigh Samuels, radiation dosimetry lead for the Center for Radiation Protection Knowledge (CRPK) at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is the recipient of the 2026 Elda E. Anderson Award from the Health Physics Society (HPS).
Samuels was recognized by the society for "her excellence in research, devotion to health physics and significant contributions to our profession." The HPS is an independent scientific organization of professionals with a mission of excellence in the science, practice, communication and application of radiation safety and protection. The Elda Anderson award, conferred since 1962, recognizes young members for their research excellence and support of the health physics field.
The CRPK at ORNL supports several federal agencies with scientifically based radiation protection and dosimetry methods. The center serves as a common resource for contemporary radiation protection technical guidance to support decision-making by U.S. agencies including DOE, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. The center receives support from the DOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security.
Samuels' expertise includes biokinetic modeling, dosimetric modeling, risk assessment and Monte Carlo radiation transport for a variety of applications. She has performed internal dose reconstruction efforts for multiple cohorts in the Million Person Study, which analyzes the health effects of low-level radiation exposure across a broad range of workers. Her work at ORNL is detailed in a recent profile article .
Samuels serves on scientific committees for the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements and the International Commission on Radiological Protection. She is also a member of a working group for the International Atomic Energy Agency. At the HPS, she serves as chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and has previously served on the Student Support Committee and as an officer in the Women in Radiation Protection Section. She has also served as an active mentor to early career scientists at ORNL.
She earned a doctorate in nuclear engineering and a master's in medical physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a bachelor's in physics from Radford University.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the DOE's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science . - Stephanie Seay
