The Department of Radiation Biology was established on 10th March, 1998 at the Faculty of Biology in Chelyabinsk State University (Order of the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Higher Education No. 649). It has been functioning at the premises of the Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine (URCRM).

Professor, Doctor of Sciences in Medical Sciences Alexander Akleyev is the Head of the Department.

In accordance with State Educational Standard of the Higher Professional Education the sub-faculty offers Bachelor's degree program in two profiles Genetics and Biophysics and Master's degree program in Radiation biology and Genetics. All the graduate and postgraduate training is research-oriented, and gives excellent opportunities of easy access to the latest equipment and expert advice.

The Department of Radiation Biology of Chelyabinsk State University trains students in radiobiology in the following programs:

• Bachelor's degree in the profile of training 06.03.01 (Biology):
  - Biophysics
  - Genetics
• Master's degree in the profile of training 06.04.01 (Biology):
  - Radiation Biology
  - Genetics

The Department of Radiation Biology of Chelyabinsk State University provides professional training for post-graduate students in radiobiology

• on the post-graduate program 06.06.01:

- Radiation Biology

The main directions of scientific activity at the Department of Radiation Biology are conducted within the framework of the implemented educational programs (06.03.01; 06.04.01; 06.06.01):

• Late health effects of chronic radiation exposure
• Bioindication and biodosimetry of radiation exposure
• Biological effects of non-ionizing exposure

The scientific activity of the department is aimed at analysis of long-term effects of chronic radiation exposure of the population. Studies of the mechanisms of radiation effects on biological systems at different levels of organization (from cellular to biocenotic) are conducted inlaboratoriesy using cell cultures, hydrobionts, laboratory animals, and in field studies (radioactively contaminated ecosystems).

The educational process at the Department of Radiation Biology takes place in the building of the Experimental Laboratory of the URCRM. Currently, the faculty members of the Department teach 33 academic disciplines of Bachelor's program, 23 academic disciplines of Master's program, graduate courses and research papers of Post-graduate program.

The staff of the Department as well as postgraduate and graduate students are involved in scientific investigations in the field of Immunology, Mollecular Biology, Cythogenetics and Population Genetics, as well as in monitoring of the environment with the use of state-of-the-art methods and equipment. The obtained results provide participation in conferences, publication of articles, writing diplomas and dissertations.

Students, candidates for a Master's degree and PhD candidates undergo internship, prepare term papers, graduate thesis and dissertations directly at the departments and laboratories of URCRM with the use of state-of-the-art equipment and innovative research techniques.

The Department of Radiation Biology is a degree-granting department. The total number of specialists is 341 people. Employees of the department defended 10 PhD theses, 1 doctoral thesis. The quality of training is evidenced by their demand and employment in research institutions, medical and industrial laboratories, universities, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other institutions in Russia and abroad.

Employees of the department conduct scientific and educational activities:
- conduct excursions, contests,
- give lectures for schoolchildren and students of other educational institutions of Chelyabinsk region, in the Information Center of nuclear industry (Chelyabinsk).

Department staff, undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students actively participate in conferences and symposia of various levels, including international, with reports and as listeners, actively publish the results of scientific research in journals, including those registered in Scopus and Web of Science.