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For Immediate Release Contact: Upstream Fund Names Jenifer Altman Award Winners ______________________________________________________________________________ Five Scientists Honored for Commitment to Scientific Integrity September 13, 2005 - Five scientists, whose work exemplifies the
pursuit of science in the public interest are being honored not
only for their research but for their steadfast commitment to scientific
integrity - often in the face of great personal sacrifice. The 2005 Jenifer Altman Awards, created by the Upstream Fund (a donor-advised fund of the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, www.jaf.org/Upstream) will be given this year in honor of outstanding dedication to scientific integrity in environmental health sciences and the pursuit of science in the public interest. The awards will be presented annually, and will focus around a different theme each year. This year's winners will each receive a $5,000 award along with
national recognition for their commitment to the scientific process
and the public's right to full and accurate information regarding
their findings. In some cases, publication of their research placed
them at the center of national or international controversy and
fierce personal and professional attacks. The five scientists being honored are: Romeo Quijano, M.D., Professor, University of the Philippines,
Manila -- His study showed how chemicals used at a banana plantation
affected the human and ecological health of a neighboring village.
The publication and wide dissemination of his findings resulted
in a libel suit by the plantation company, the major owner of which
was also the head of the Philippines Department of Agriculture.
Dr. Quijano was subsequently arrested (and later released) because
of his work and has received death threats for his willingness to
speak out in defense of the villagers. While the criminal libel
case has been dismissed, a $100,000 civil damage suit is still ongoing
against Dr. Quijano and his daughter. Tyrone Hayes, PhD - University of California, Berkeley -
His research showed that exposure to extremely low levels of atrazine
has devastating health effects for frogs. His findings were repeatedly
criticized by industry-funded scientists and public relations specialists,
yet Dr. Hayes persisted in his research, confirming and extending
his results. He also showed through rigorous analysis that industry-funded
studies purporting to contradict his research were highly biased.
A brilliant public speaker, Dr. Hayes has appeared in public and
scientific meetings around the world. Ignacio Chapela, PhD - University of California, Berkeley
-- His groundbreaking research uncovered the genetic contamination
of maize in its center of origin (Oaxaca, Mexico), by genetically
modified corn, at a time when genetically modified crops were illegal
in Mexico. As a result of his work, Dr. Chapela became the target
of a corporate public relations campaign that impugned his credibility
and sparked an international controversy over the integrity of science
in the face of overwhelming corporate influence. Subsequently, Dr.
Chapela was denied an anticipated tenure, prompting an international
outcry. Dr. Chapela filed suit against the university, and soon
after the suit was filed the university announced a reversal of
the tenure decision. Frederick vom Saal, PhD - University of Missouri, Columbia
- His research found that a range of synthetic compounds in common
use today interfere with hormone signaling at extremely low levels
of exposure, which had previously been considered irrelevant to
health. Both he and his work have come under repeated attack by
the chemical industry. However, Dr. vom Saal has continued to demonstrate
great courage and tenacity in pursuing his research and publishing
in this controversial area. He has been willing to engage publicly
on these crucial scientific issues, despite repeated attacks on
his integrity. Shanna Swan, PhD - University of Rochester - Her pioneering
epidemiological studies drew scientific and public attention to
ways that chemical exposure can affect reproductive health. Her
work has provoked attacks from anti-regulatory advocates and industry
representatives because her data and analyses sharply challenge
the adequacy of public health standards. Her studies of humans have
been especially noteworthy because she has developed novel, rigorous
approaches that explicitly address predictions emerging from toxicological
studies of endocrine disruption in animals. For more information on the 2005 Jenifer Altman Awards and this year's recipients, please visit www.jaf.org/report/JA awards 2005.html.
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