RE: Dr. David Healy Presentation at Columbia University

[Guest guest]

SSRI-Research@

Thu, 20 Oct 2005 12:36:04 -0000

[sSRI-Research] RE: Dr. David Healy Presentation at Columbia

University

 

 

 

 

 

ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RESEARCH PROTECTION (AHRP)

Promoting Openness, Full Disclosure, and Accountability

www.ahrp.org

 

FYI

 

Although I was assured that attendance for a presentation by Dr.

David Healy (at Columbia University School of Public Health on Oct.

20 at 12:30) would be open to the public, a problem seems to have

emerged after an AHRP Infomail about the presentation prompted many

people to want to attend: Professor Sharon Schwartz, Professor,

Department of Epidemiology at Columbia indicated: " many people have

been conctacting us about it. "

 

Dr. Healy's talk will focus on the latest data on SSRIs and suicide;

company behavior in relation to this issue; and he will field

questions on the role of conflicts of interest in this area.

 

I received the following notes today indicating the curtailment of

attendees from the public. The note from Dr. Allan Horwitz (Professor

of Sociology, Rutgers) states:

 

<Unfortunately, rooms for speakers are at a great premium at

Columbia and we havn't been able to get > larger room than one we

originally scheduled the talk in, which holds > about 50 people. We

expect that about 40 people will be attending from the

> students and faculty of the Rutgers and Columbia programs.

Therefore, if > more than 10 or so other people come, we won't be

able to accommodate them.

 

The note from Dr. Sharon Schwartz states:

 

[The presentation] <has been listed on several blogs, listserves etc.

and other locations as a public event. Many people have been

contacting us about it.> < the room in which the event is taking

place was meant for our two programs and is therefore too small to

accommodate the public. Because of this situation, only people on a

designated list will be allowed past security at the hospital.

 

You are welcome to come and we will put your name on the list so you

should have no problem. If you want to bring a colleague, please let

me know as soon as possible so that I can put him/her on the list as

well and they can gain access.

 

From these directives, it would appear that only 10 people who are not

affiliated with Columbia or Rutgers faculty and students may get in

if they call and gain a place on the list.

 

To be placed on the list, it is suggested that you contact:

 

Dr. Sharon Schwartz at: 212-305-7789-- sbs5 ;

Dr. Allan Horwitz: avhorw

 

One would have hoped that public interest (by members of the wider

academic and public health analyst community) in a presentation

dealing with drug safety and medical ethics would be welcomed at

institutions that receive very generous public support .

 

 

 

Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav

212-595-8974

veracare

 

 

(Write/call/fax Columbia and tell them to open this up to others.)