The Radiation medicine program evolved from the Section of Nuclear weapon and chemical weapon prevention of No 1 Military Medicine University. In 1958, the Section of damage prevention from nuclear and chemical weapon was established to meet the need of nuclear war, nation protection and nuclear industry for professionals in Radiation Medicine and Radiation Prevention, which was the foundation of radiation medicine program. The radiation medicine program was the first program in radiation medicine area in universities of China and is by far the only radiation medicine program in universities under Ministry of Education. In 1960, the undergraduate program in Radiation medicine was offered, the Master degree program and Doctoral program were offered in 1978 and 1983, respectively. In 1991, the lab of Radiation Medicine was awarded the key lab by Ministry of Health.

    In 1995, the Radiation Medicine was approved to be a key discipline of Jilin Province. Since 2007, radiation Medicine has been approved to be national first-class specialties with features, excellent course, brand major of Jilin Province and the teaching group was awarded an excellent teaching team of Jilin Province. So far, five teaching bases have been set up in different cities, such as Beijing etc. In the last 50 years, great achievements have been accomplished in talent cultivation, scientific research, and technical service under the leading of the famous radiobiologist, former President of Norman Bethune University of Medical Sciences, Professor Shuzheng Liu.

    So far, there are four Sections and one experimental teaching center under the Department of Radiation Medicine, Section of Radiation Biology, Section of Radiation damage and clinics, Section of Radiation prevention, Section of Radiation Chemistry and Toxicology, and Radiation Medicine Experimental Teaching center. There are 34 Faculty and staff in Department of Radiation Medicine that include 7 professors (four are Doctoral supervisor), 11 associate professors, 10 technicians. Among the Faculty and staff, 20 have earned Doctoral Degree, one is a member of 5th discipline evaluation committee of State Department, one is winner of New Century Excellent Talent Supporting plan, one is Tao Aoqing visiting professor. Since the foundation of the Department, there have been 43 sessions of graduates with Master or Doctoral Degree, total more than 200 graduates, over 900 professionals finishing their continuing studies in the Department.

    Through 50 years of research accumulation, Radiation Medicine has developed into a discipline with dominant advantages, especially in the area of stimulative effects of low dose radiation. The achievements in stimulatory effects of low dose radiation rank top in domestic and are recognized by international peers. Since the foundation of the radiation medicine lab, hundreds of scientific research projects have been granted that include two 9th five-plan projects, two projects of 863, one project of 973, 29 projects of Natural science foundation of China. More than 1100 papers have been published. Among the published papers, over 140 papers have been published in SCI journals. Over 30 specialized books have been published. More than 20 national and provincial science and technology prizes have been awarded, especially cellular genetic adaptive response induced by low dose radiation and their mechanisms was awarded the second prize of national science and technology progress. The faculty and staff have been doing evaluation and detection on the radiation of environment and workplaces besides their teaching and research. In 2005, the institute of radiation medicine was authorized to conduct radiation detection by Jilin Province. In 2007, the institute of radiation medicine was authorized by National Ministry of Health to perform radiation detection. In 2009, the institute of radiation medicine was authorized to conduct evaluation on potential of construction project to cause professional diseases.