Robley D. Evans (physicist)


Robley Dunglison Evans was an American physicist. He was born on 18 May 1907, in University Place, Nebraska and earned his doctorate at the California Institute of Technology in 1932. In 1934, he joined the faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which he retired in 1972.
Evans died at the age of 88 of respiratory failure on December 31, 1995 in Paradise Valley, Arizona where he lived in retirement. Evans was survived by his wife and onetime colleague, the former Mary Margaret Shanahan of Paradise Valley, and three children. For all his efforts and research he is considered one of the founders of Nuclear Medicine.

Education

While Robley Evans was a graduate student at California Institute of Technology, the Los Angeles County Health Officer, Frank Crandall, was investigating the hazards that radium-containing patent medicines posed to the public health. These products were being manufactured in the Los Angeles area and any possible health effects were Crandall’s concern. Crandall contacted Evans’ supervisor, Robert Millikan, and this proved to be a pivotal moment in the young Evans’ life because he spent most of his career researching the physiological effects of radiological substances.
After graduation Robley Evans worked at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was able to continue his research into radium poisoning. The scintillation cameras currently found in hospitals are the results from the first whole body counter to measure radium uptake using the radium dial painters. This first generation counter was used to conduct the first measurement of a radionuclide in the human body. He did not just use his expertise for measuring radium in the body. He sought to determine what effects radium had on the human body. These studies included the body’s metabolism, the hazards, and how to minimize any harmful side effects. In 1941 this research enabled Professor Evans to establish one ten-millionth of a gram of radium as the "maximum permissible body burden" - the greatest quantity of a radioactive substance that the human body can tolerate without a likelihood of damage, allowing a large margin for safety.
Perhaps the greatest contribution Robley Evans made to the medical field was the use of radioiodine to assess human thyroid conditions without invasive surgery. This method was used from the 1930s to the 1980s and was counted as one of the medical community’s greatest tools for monitoring the health of patients.
Evans's accomplishments in medical physics included development of a technique to preserve human whole blood, research primarily undertaken for the benefit of wounded servicemen in World War II. By using as many as two radioactive forms of iron and one of iodine - a so-called "triple tracer" experiment - doctors could determine how well transfused blood cells remained in a recipient's blood stream. A chemical was found to preserve the blood for up to three weeks, the time it required to reach distant battlefields and subsequently was used in blood banks for several decades.

Memberships and Professional Involvement

Prior to 1984 this was called the Distinguished Achievement Award. Award consists of a plaque and Life Membership in the Society, now known as the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award. This award is designed to acknowledge outstanding contributions to the science and technology of radiation safety. The recipient of the award is recognized for accomplishments of fundamental importance to the practice, acceptance, and advancement of the profession of health physics. Other individuals who contributed in an outstanding way to the development of scientific knowledge for the protection of humankind and the environment can be permanently memorialized by the presentation of the award in their names.
This award recognizes an AAPM member for an eminent career in medical physics. It is the highest award given by the AAPM. No more than one award will be given in any year and the award does not have to be awarded every year.
The Robley D. Evans Commemorative Medal is awarded by the Health Physics Society to recognize scientific achievement and other accomplishments as exemplified by the late Professor Robley Evans. This award is given in memory and honor of Professor Evans in recognition of his outstanding and extraordinary dedication and contributions to radiation safety as physics educator, scientist, author, and humanitarian for more than 50 years. The recipient of this award demonstrates the extraordinary qualities exemplified by Professor Evans for excellence in scientific achievement, interdisciplinary capabilities, the applicability of science to real-world needs of radiation safety, and insight into simple solutions of difficult problems. The Evans Medal is not intended to be given annually or frequently. The Health Physics Society Awards Committee has the discretionary power to not select an awardee in any given year.
HPS Robley D. Evans Commemorative Medal recipients
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