Carl F. Blackman, Ph.D. Biophysics
USA
Dr. Carl F. Blackman is an experienced scientist and former Adjunct Professor with a demonstrated history of working in the renewables and environment industry. Skilled in Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Cell Culture, Life Sciences, and Data Analysis.
He was a Research Scientist in the Environmental Carcinogenesis Division of the US Environmental Protection Agency. He received his Ph.D. in Biophysics in 1969, performed post-doctoral training at Brookhaven National Laboratory (1969- 1970), and joined the EPA in 1970. For many years, Dr. Blackman studied the complexities of electric and magnetic field interactions with biological systems. His work resulted in several discoveries including multiple effect “windows” of intensity and frequency, and the demonstration that the earth’s magnetic field was involved in some biological responses to EMF, and he collaborated on the development of mathematical models that are useful to predict EMF conditions that can cause biological responses. He and colleagues, Drs Ubeda and Trillo, discovered that the oncostatic hormone, melatonin, can modulate gap junction intercellular communication and partially oppose the action of known and suspected tumor promoting agents to close this communication. They also demonstrated that the biological action of melatonin can be altered by magnetic field exposure. While at EPA, Dr. Blackman received research support (1989-1998) through an interagency agreement from the US Department of Energy.
Following retirement from EPA, Dr. Blackman became an adjunct professor and joined a research group investigating the influence of DNA methylation on the expression of tumor suppressor genes. He is now retired.
He served on the World Health Organization committee to evaluate the health implications of radiofrequency radiation exposure (Environmental Health Criteria #137, 1993), on a committee of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of low frequency electric and magnetic fields in 2001 (Volume 80, 2002) and as chair of the genetic studies group of the ANSI/IEEE committee that issued the US 1992 Radiofrequency Radiation exposure guidelines. He also served on the US National Council of Radiation and Measurement’s committee, chaired by Dr. Adey, to evaluate the potential health effects of low frequency electric and magnetic fields.
Dr. Blackman was one of six founders in 1978 of the Bioelectromagnetics Society (BEMS), served as president in 1990, and as a member of Editorial Board of the Society’s journal for seven terms (14 years). In 2014, Carl was awarded BEM’s highest scientific prize – the d’Arsonval Award.
Dr. Blackman was a member of the American Society for Cell Biology, American Society for Photobiology, the Biophysics Society, European BioElectromagnetics Association, and the Society for In Vitro Biology.
Dr. Blackman has co-authored fifty-six peer-reviewed publications, twenty-two book chapters, fifty-four invited presentations, and 130 abstracts.