Dr. Henry Lai, PhD (USA) is a professor emeritus of Bioengineering at the University of Washington. He has a long research career focused on biological effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields (from extremely-low frequency to radiofrequency) and their possible medical applications with research end points covering molecular biology, neurochemistry, behaviour, and cancer treatment. He has a further interest in the development of artemisinins and its analogs for cancer treatment and prevention. From 2009 to 2018, Professor Lai has served as a co-editor-in-chief of the international peer-reviewed journal Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine. Professor Lai has published over 100 peer-reviewed research publications. The Seattle Magazine named Professor Lai as one of the most influential people in Seattle in 2011.

Two Lectures

Lecture #1 Abstract

Rebuttal of Some of the Arguments that Most Present RFR Exposure Guidelines are Adequate to Protect the Public

There are several arguments used by some people to claim that most existing exposure guidelines are adequate to protect the general public for possible harmful effects of radiofrequency radiation (RFR), and there is no need to consider new research data. This presentation examines the validity of these arguments. The arguments include:

1. Only thermal effects occur. There is no evidence of non-thermal effects.
2. Low intensity RFR does not cause any biological effects.
3. Most scientific data in RFR research are non-replicable and contradictory, thus, could not be used in exposure guideline setting.
4. Linear dose-response relationship generally does not exist in RFR research.
5. Mechanisms of interaction of RFR with living organisms are not known.

Lecture #2 Abstract

Neurological Effects of Nonionizing Electromagnetic Fields

This presentation deals mainly on the neurological effects of radiofrequency radiation (RFR). Neurological effects are caused by changes in the nervous system. Factors that act directly or indirectly on the nervous system causing morphological, chemical, or electrical changes in the nervous system can lead to neurological effects. The final manifestation of these effects can be seen as psychological/behavioral changes, e.g., memory, learning, and perception.

1. The nervous system is an electrical organ. Thus, it should not be surprising that exposure to electromagnetic fields could lead to neurological changes. Thus, there is ample evidence that RFR exposure affects the nervous system from both acute and long-term exposure experiments. Morphological, chemical, electrical, and behavioral changes have been reported in cells and animals after exposure to RFR.
2. Most of the studies were carried out with relatively high levels of RFR compared to environmental level. However, there are studies that reported effects at very low levels, i.e., lower than most international RFR-exposure guidelines, e.g., the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). This raises the question on whether the guidelines used in most countries nowadays are obsolete and new exposure guidelines have to be set.
3. Some explanatory mechanisms for these effects have emerged. One consistent finding is that animals exposed to RFR suffered from memory and learning deficits. These effects can be explained by the results of numerous reports that showed RFR affected the hippocampus, a brain structure involved in memory and learning. Several studies reported deficit in memory in human subjects exposed to RFR, particularly on short-term memory, a function specifically related to the hippocampus. Another related aspect is that several investigations have indicated that RFR exposure could reverse some of the defects in an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease, a neurological disorder involved in the degeneration of cholinergic innervations in the hippocampus.
4. Another very consistent finding is that RFR affects free radical metabolism in the brain. This oxidative effect may explain some of the cellular and physiological, and consequently behavioral effects of RFR on the nervous system.
5. Many of the effects of RFR on the nervous system, e.g., the hippocampus, oxidative effect, and behavioral effects, are also observed after exposure to extremely-low frequency (50-60 Hz) electromagnetic fields.