Angelina Guskova facts for kids

Angelina Konstantinovna Guskova (born March 29, 1924 – died April 7, 2015) was a very important Russian doctor. She was a neurologist, which means she studied the brain and nerves. She was also a neurosurgeon, a doctor who performs brain and nerve operations. Most importantly, she was an expert in radiation protection. This means she knew how to keep people safe from radiation.

From 1949, she worked with the Soviet atomic bomb project. She helped create rules for how to protect people from radiation. She also made guidelines for doctors to treat people after nuclear accidents. She was even part of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). This committee studies how radiation affects people around the world.

Angelina Guskova's Early Life and Career

Angelina Guskova was born in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Her mother, Zoya Vasilyevna Guskov, was a pianist. Her father, Konstantin Vasilyevich, was a doctor. Her family had been doctors for three generations before her.

In 1926, her family moved to Nizhny Tagil. Angelina followed in her family's footsteps. She became the fourth generation of doctors in her family. She finished her medical studies in 1946. At first, she worked with nervous system problems and brain surgery.

Working with the Soviet Nuclear Program

In 1948, doctors were asked to work in a special, secret city. This city was called Chelyabinsk-40. It was part of the Soviet Union's new nuclear program. Between March and May of that year, scientists started setting rules for radiation safety. They decided how much radiation a worker could be exposed to each day.

In 1949, Angelina Guskova moved to Moscow. She started working for the nuclear program. She helped the workers at Plutonium Combine No. 817. She also helped people who lived in Chelyabinsk-40. The Mayak factory nearby made plutonium. This plutonium was used for the first Soviet nuclear bomb. Until 1953, Dr. Guskova led the neurology department in Ozyorsk. She focused on nerve diseases and brain surgery.

Studying Radiation Sickness

In 1949, doctors found the first patients with long-term radiation sickness. This sickness happens when someone is exposed to too much radiation. In August 1950, they saw the first cases of severe, sudden radiation sickness.

Dr. Guskova earned her Ph.D. in 1951. In 1953, she and another doctor, G.D. Baysogolov, suggested creating a special center. This center would research, treat, and advise on radiation sickness. So, the Institute of Biophysics (IBP) was started in May 1953. Dr. Baysogolov was the chief, and Dr. Guskova was a senior researcher.

The main goal of the IBP was to find and treat radiation sickness. Dr. Guskova and Dr. Baysogolov created a system to classify radiation sickness. This helped doctors understand how serious a patient's condition was. The doctors at the IBP were highly skilled. They collected a lot of new information about radiation sickness. They also developed rules to protect both patients and doctors. Because of their work, almost 90% of patients with radiation sickness got better.

Dr. Guskova traveled to other countries to give talks. She taught people about the effects of radiation sickness. In 1956, she wrote another important paper about how radiation affects the nervous system. In 1957, she received her first award, the Medal "For Labour Valour". Between 1953 and 1958, she created new rules for working with radiation. She also made rules for medical check-ups after exposure.

Later Career and Achievements

In 1961, Dr. Guskova became the head of the radiology department. This was at the Institute of Occupational Hygiene and Occupational Diseases. She started studies in different parts of the country. She watched a large group of people for ten years. She checked things like their blood flow, blood cell production, and hormone levels.

In 1974, she returned to the IBP. She became the head of the clinical department. From 1998, she was a chief scientist and researcher at the IBP. This institute is now called the A.I. Burnazyan Federal Medical Biophysical Centre.

In 1986, she became a member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. That same year, the Chernobyl disaster happened. This was a very serious nuclear accident. Dr. Guskova helped guide the medical treatment for 134 patients. These patients had severe radiation sickness. A few months later, she wrote a report about it for UNSCEAR.

From 1989 to 1993, she was part of the Main Commission on Radiological Protection. She was also an honorary professor at the Urals Research Centre for Radiation Medicine. During her career, she taught many students who went on to become doctors and researchers. She wrote about 200 professional papers. These included guides on how to treat patients after nuclear accidents.

She was also involved in many important groups. She was deputy chair of the state scientific council on biophysics from 1959. She was a member of the national commission for radiation protection. From 1967, she was a member of UNSCEAR. She also helped decide if illnesses were caused by atomic radiation.

Angelina Guskova passed away in Moscow in 2015. She was 91 years old and had been ill for a long time.

Awards

• 1957: Medal "For Labour Valour"
• 1963: Lenin Prize
• 1971: Order of Friendship of Peoples
• 2000: Gold Medal in Radiation Protection from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences & Honoured Scientist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic