Skip to Navigation
Skip to Content

Take Action

Climate change’s threats to human health and life are growing. Will you join our latest effort to roll back climate change?

Ira Helfand, MD

Leeds, Massachusetts
Speaker Topic: Climate Change, Nuclear Power, Nuclear Weapons
Medical Specialty: Emergency Medicine
PSR Affiliation: Member, National Board
Professional Affiliation: North American Vice-President, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

Areas of Expertise:

  • Nuclear power nuclear waste, radiation exposure
  • Iran nuclear crisis
  • Nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament
  • Nuclear war, terrorism and preparedness
  • Nuclear Famine
Media Experience: Television, Radio, Writing (editorials), Public Speaking

Why PSR?

PSR provides a powerful vehicle for doctors and other health professionals to address the gravest threats to human survival. As physicians we have a unique and critically important message about the dangers of nuclear war and climate change. PSR brings that message to the public debate about these issues.

Biographical Sketch

Ira Helfand has worked for many years as an emergency room physician and now practices internal medicine at an urgent care center in Springfield, MA. He is a Past President of Physicians for Social Responsibility and is currently the North American Vice President of our global federation, the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.

To request Dr. Helfand as a speaker, please email psrnatl@psr.org or call 202-667-4260.

In the Spotlight

Conference: Climate Smart Southwest

Build new and fortify existing cross-cultural, community, and governmental partnerships to educate and engage community action to address the anticipated public health impacts of climate change in the Southwest, September 20-21 in Tucson.

Learn more »

Publications:

Accidental Nuclear War—A Post Cold War Assessment, Forrow L, Blair B, Helfand I, et al, New England Journal of Medicine 4/30/98

Nuclear Terrorism, Helfand I, Forrow L, Tiwari J, British Medical Journal, 2/9/2002

Projected US Casualties and Destruction of US Medical Services from Attacks by Russian Nuclear Forces, Helfand I, Forrow L, McCally M, Musil RK, Medicine and Global Survival, 2/2002

The United States and Nuclear Terrorism: Still Dangerously Unprepared, Ira Helfand MD, Andrew Kanter MD, Michael McCally MD, Kimberly Roberts, Jaya Tiwari 8/2006  

An Assessment of the Extent of Projected Global Famine Resulting from Limited, Regional Nuclear War, Ira Helfand, MD, presented at Royal Society of Medicine, London 10/2007