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To protect government policies and industry practices …

Targeting Scientists to protect government policies and industry practices David L. Lewis, Ph.D., Director Research Misconduct Project National Whistleblowers Center Washington, DC 20007 www.researchmisconduct.org. To protect government policies and industry practices ….

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To protect government policies and industry practices …

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  1. Targeting Scientists to protect government policies and industry practicesDavid L. Lewis, Ph.D., DirectorResearch Misconduct Project National Whistleblowers CenterWashington, DC 20007www.researchmisconduct.org

  2. To protect government policies and industry practices … Federal agencies and corporations: (1) Fund universities to publish research predetermined to support government policies and industry practices (2) Disseminate false allegations of research misconduct against scientists who publish unwanted data (e.g. document adverse effects)

  3. The Ecology of Fear The fear effect of predators is more important than the number of prey taken; e.g., rodents vacate a field following an owl taking only a single mouse.1 By analogy: All it takes to clear a field of science is to devour one (highly visible) scientist. 1 “The effects of owl predation on the foraging behavior of heteromyid rodents.” Brown et al. Oecologia 1988

  4. Targeting Scientists Dr. Andrew Wakefield Vaccines

  5. EPA Science Achievement Award 2000 (Lewis et al. Nature 1999) Biosolids

  6. Documenting Cases (Biosolids) Parents, patients, physicians link biosolids to 48 casesof illness and death at 10 sites BMC Public Health. 2002 June;2:11 Interactions of pathogens and irritant chemicals in land-applied sewage sludges (biosolids) DL Lewis, DK Gattie, ME Novak, S Sanchez and C Pumphrey

  7. Industry’s false allegations (2001-2003) Lewis allegedly - • Had undisclosed conflicts of interest as an expert witness (i.e., committed ethics violations) • Had not obtained EPA approval for his the research(i.e., misused public funds) • Intentionally misrepresented the work of other researchers and the facts (i.e., committed research fraud) • Used faulty data, which were withdrawn • Based conclusions on unreliable/biased anecdotal reports • Included no controls in the study

  8. Government-Industry Warning In 2002, the company’s VP for Government Relations, who met with EPA, warned a Texas County Commissioner: “These people will find their work rightly discredited and their funding will disappear while credible researchers continue to have funding.”

  9. EPA-UGA Study (2002) Used byNational Academy of Sciences to conclude “no documented cases” “Some individuals have questioned whether [EPA’s biosolids] regulations are protective of the public and the environment. This study puts some of those fears to rest.”1 1Lead author: J. Gaskin, R. Brobst, W. Miller, and W. Tollner. 2003. Long-term biosolids application effects on metal concentrations in soil and bermudagrass forage. J. Environ. Qual. 32: 146-152.

  10. EPA Termination (2003) Senior-level (GS-15) Research Microbiologist with 31 years; only EPA scientist to publish in Nature, Lancet EPA Lab Director’s public statement: “Dr. Lewis’ involuntary termination over his research articles was not supported by the local lab management in Athens. He was an excellent researcher and an asset to EPA science.”

  11. University of Georgia Reneged on hiring, banned from laboratories, terminated as visiting scientist Sworn testimony of UGA director (2003): “[I was told to] stay away from things that could end up biting us in the rear-end … because we're dependent on this money … grant and contract money … money either from possible future EPA grants or [from] connections there might be between the waste-disposal community [and] members of faculty at the university.”

  12. Results of EPA’s investigations (2003) EPA Asst. General Counsel1: “No one [at EPA] concluded there was merit to [the] allegations or that Dr. Lewis may have had a performance or ethics problem” … the allegations “are not the EPA’s view” … “to the best of EPA’s knowledge” there are “no facts to support” them. Office of Research & Development2: “[Based on Federal scientific misconduct policies] there is no basis to warrant investigation of Dr. Lewis for research misconduct.” 1Joint Stipulation, Lewis v. EPA, Case No. 2003-CAA-5, 2003-CAA-6. March 04, 2003 2[Memorandum] F. Stancil to R. Russo EPA-Athens, GA April 22, 2003

  13. U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia (2008)EPA-UGA data “fabricated” and “invented”

  14. Documenting Cases (Vaccines) Parents, physicians link MMR vaccination to autism in eight patients Lancet. 1998 Feb 28;351(9103):637-41. Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children. Wakefield AJ, Murch SH, Anthony A, Linnell J, Casson DM, Malik M, Berelowitz M, Dhillon AP, Thomson MA, Harvey P, Valentine A, Davies SE, Walker-Smith JA.

  15. Deer’s Allegations – GMC Findings(2004-2010) • Committed ethics violations (e.g., no research approval or informed consent) • Misrepresented the work of other researchers • Fabricated the diagnosis of colitis • Had undisclosed conflicts of interest as an expert witness • Misused public (Legal Aid Board) funds Dr. Wakefield, Prof. John Walker-Smith allegedly:

  16. Wakefield’s files

  17. British Medical Journal – Brian Deer

  18. Deer to NWC Director (2011) Alleged Lewis: • Is working as an environmental microbiologist and has no qualifications in medicine relevant to the Lancet study • Was writing on the business of the University of Georgia and improperly exploiting a university email account, rather than using those he publishes at your website and elsewhere • Misled the GMC’s expert pediatric gastroenterologist, Professor Ian Booth, by claiming that a Nature reporter had prompted him to write.

  19. Google “BMJ egregious misconduct”

  20. England’s High Court of Justice (2012)

  21. Vaccine Epidemic Habakus & Holland Skyhorse Publishing (including document web page)

  22. Fighting back For federal agencies and corporations to successfully manipulate the science, they must: (1) Heavily fund universities to publish research predetermined to support government policies and industry practices [Goal: “Most scientists agree that blah, blah, blah is safe.”] (2)Completely destroy scientists who document adverse effects [Goal: “There are no documented cases of blah, blah, blah ever happening.”]

  23. www.DrWakefieldJusticeFund.org Dr. Andrew Wakefield has filed a defamation lawsuit in Travis County, Texas, District Court against the British Medical Journal (BMJ), Fiona Godlee, the journal's editor, and Brian Deer, a writer working for the BMJ.

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