From an early age, Dr. Evan Barr Douple gravitated toward the field of science, having been inspired by the launch of Sputnik-1 by the Soviet Union in 1957. Finding a great passion for the field, he attained a Bachelor of Science from Millersville State College in 1964. Following his graduation, he was qualified to teach chemistry, physics and biology, whereupon he served as a science teacher at Lebanon High School for three years.
During this time, the Space Race was prevalent across the world, lending itself to the belief that America was not advancing quickly enough in science education. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Douple was granted a fellowship to enhance his skills as a science educator. He then enrolled in Kansas University, from which he received a Doctor of Philosophy in radiation biophysics in 1972. Notably, Dr. Douple was only one of two among 32 teachers selected for the fellowship to complete the doctorate program. While studying toward his doctoral degree, he excelled as a teaching assistant and lecturer on the subject of radiation and how it is utilized to treat cancer.
Over the course of his studies, and his subsequent career, Dr. Douple discovered that radiation biophysics was leveraged across the world within the medical industry. To wit, he notes that it has become most prevalent in those who specialize in cancer treatment and use radiation to eradicate cancer cells and shrink tumors, those who work as radiation safety officers, and those who serve in the field of research to detect and isolate the effects of energy. As such, Dr. Douple was hired by Dartmouth Medical School, which had just opened the Norris Cotton Cancer Center – one of New England’s most comprehensive institutions for cancer treatment. There, he served as an instructor, associate professor and full professor between 1973 and 1992.
Congruent to these positions, Dr. Douple also served as a staff consultant at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital and an adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth University from 1976 to 1992, as well as the director of radiobiology research at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center from 1981 to 1992. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Douple was a staff scientist for the National Academy of Sciences between 1992 and 1997, director of the board of radiation effects affiliated with the National Academy of Sciences between 1997 and 2007, and associate chief of research at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima, Japan, between 2008 and 2013. Bolstered by over 45 years of excellence in radiation biophysics, scientific administration, research and education, he retired in 2013 after a long and fruitful career.
Among the many achievements in his career, Dr. Douple is especially gratified by his participation in the development of a system for delivering microwave-induced hyperthermia for cancer treatment, including research in the utilization of platinum chemotherapy with radiation therapy, as well as the delivery of chemotherapy from biodegradable polymers. Looking forward, he intends to continue enjoying his well-deserved retirement.
