Background
Ruff was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1955.
Ruff was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1955.
He is also the Australian chair of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), and has written extensively on nuclear issues, including the hazards or ionizing radiation, nuclear weapons, nuclear war and nuclear famine. He has described becoming a parent as strengthening his resolve and commitment to advocating for nuclear disarmament. Ruff is a graduate of Monash University and Glen Waverley High School.
He has also worked as a regional medical director for vaccines, employed by a major manufacturer.
He helped establish the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and was its founding chairman In 2010, he told the Sydney Morning Herald: "We"ve come a long way.
The numbers of nuclear weapons have been reduced from the peak of 70,000 in 1986 to about 23,000 - that"s a drastic reduction." Ruff recently co-authored an article with former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser entitled "2015 is the year to ban nuclear weapons.".
Ruff serves as medical advisor to the international department of Australian Red Cross and is a member of the World Health Organisation Western Pacific Region"s Hepatitis B Expert Resource Panel. Ruff has been an active member of the Medical Association for Prevention of War in Australia for over three decades and is a co-president of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). He remains a member of the ICAN Australia Committee and ICAN"s International Steering Group.
