Aaron Goodarzi | Radon in our Homes: The Science Behind the Danger

Aaron Goodarzi, PhD, is an assistant professor at University of Calgary’s Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute at the Cumming School of Medicine, and currently holds the title of Canada Research Chair for Radiation Exposure Disease. He is a globally recognized researcher in understanding how radiation impacts our DNA to cause genetic damage and ultimately cancer.

Aaron currently leads the ‘Evict Radon’ campaign to test homes across Canada for radon gas, which is the biggest lifetime source of radiation exposure for nearly everyone, and the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers being responsible for the premature deaths of many thousands of Canadians each year. He obtained his PhD in biochemistry from University of Calgary in 2005, and trained as a post-doctoral scholar in radiation biology at the Genome Damage and Stability Centre at the University of Sussex (UK) until 2010.

In 2011, he opened his own laboratory in Calgary. In 2015, Dr. Goodarzi was named by Avenue Magazine as one of Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 for achievements in science and education and, in 2016, was named a “Peak Scholar” by University of Calgary President Elizabeth Cannon for his efforts in knowledge engagement in the area of the health impact of radon gas inhalation.