Melvin R. Sikov Papers, circa 1961-1995

Melvin R. "Mel" Sikov (1928-2005) was a pioneer in radiation protection, particularly for understanding how radiation affects embryos and fetuses. Sikov was born and graduated from high school in Detroit, Michigan. After two years in the U.S. Army, he earned a B.S. in Biology and Physics from Wayne State University. He was then awarded a fellowship and spent two years studying radiological physics at the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies under Elda Anderson, from 1951 to 1952. He married fellow Wayne State University alumna, Shirley Dressler, in 1952. Dressler worked at the Department of Statistics in the Atomic Energy Project.

He went on to a Ph.D. program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and earned a doctorate in radiation biology, only the second such degree granted in the world, in 1955. Sikov's mentor, Dr. Thomas Noonan, introduced Sikov to the field of radiation effects on the female reproductive system.

After completing his Ph.D., Sikov returned to Detroit as assistant professor of radiobiology at Wayne State University. In 1965, he moved to Washington to work at Battelle's Pacific Northwest Laboratory at Hanford, in the Biology Department. Sikov moved up through several positions, reaching the highest scientific rank. He held adjunct positions at Oregon State University and the Joint Center for Graduate Studies, which became part of Washington State University Tri-Cities. Upon retirement in 1995, he was named Scientist Emeritus in the Molecular Biosciences Department.

While pursuing studies on radionuclides, he collaborated with other scientists in some of the first research to apply ultrasound imaging to embryonic tissues. Sikov's work on the prenatal effects of ultrasound helped to establish the safety of this clinical technique. With other scientists he examined the potential prenatal and postnatal effects of metals and slow-release system contraceptives used in intrauterine devices for birth control.

He was generous in sharing his expertise with others, but he remained focused on the developmental effects of radionuclides and improving radiation protection for members of the public. He was a charter member of the Health Physics Society (HPS), which honored him with Fellow membership. The Columbia Chapter of the HPS also honored him with Lifetime membership. He was a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Institute of Ultrasound. He was a member of the American Society for Investigative Pathology, Radiation Research Society, Society of Toxicology, and Teratology Society. He was actively involved in outreach and public educational efforts of regional professional organizations.