James Enstrom
{{short description|American epidemiologist|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = James Eugene Enstrom
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| birth_place = Alhambra, California{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-mar-28-me-tobacco28-story.html | title=Tobacco funding of research reviewed | work=Los Angeles Times | date=28 March 2007 | access-date=10 May 2015 | author=Paddock, Richard C.}}
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| fields = Physics, epidemiology
| workplaces = University of California, Los Angeles
| alma_mater = Harvey Mudd College, Stanford University, University of California, Los Angeles
| thesis_title = Measurement of the two photon decay of the symbol for the neutral K meson
| thesis_url = https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/654292121
| thesis_year = 1970
| doctoral_advisor = Melvin Schwartz{{cite web | url=http://acsh.org/about-acsh/meet-the-team/james-e-enstrom-ph-d-m-p-h/ | title=James E. Enstrom | date=11 June 2012 | publisher=American Council on Science and Health | access-date=20 August 2015}}
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James Eugene Enstrom (born {{abbr|c.|circa}} 1943) is an American epidemiologist who has worked at the University of California, Los Angeles since 1976, where he is currently a retired researcher.{{cite web | url=https://industrydocuments.library.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/#id=grdx0075 | title=James Eugene Enstrom Biographical Sketch | access-date=10 May 2015}}
Education
Enstrom received his B.S. in physics from Harvey Mudd College, where he graduated co-valedictorian of the Class of 1965; he received his M.S. and Ph.D., also in physics, from Stanford University in 1967 and 1970, respectively.{{Cite web|url=http://scientificintegrityinstitute.org/biography.html|title=SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY INSTITUTE - Biography}} His dissertation advisor was Nobel Laureate Melvin Schwartz and his elementary particle physics dissertation is posted on a Stanford website.https://www.slac.stanford.edu/slac-r-125.pdf {{Dead link|date=February 2022}} During 1971-1973 he conducted postdoctoral research in physics in Group A at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, under the direction of Nobel Laureate Luis Alvarez and Professor Arthur Rosenfeld. He became interested in epidemiology in 1972 when he noticed a National Cancer Institute map that showed Utah with the lowest cancer death rate of any state in the United States. In 1973 he was able to initiate an epidemiological study of Cancer Mortality Among Mormons, who comprised 70% of the Utah population.http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/MormonFC0176.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}} This subsequently led to his Celeste Durant Rogers Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cancer Research during 1973-1976 at the University of California, Los Angeles. In 1976 he obtained an M.P.H. in epidemiology and a Postdoctoral Certificate in cancer epidemiology under the direction of renowned UCLA School of Public Health Dean Lester Breslow.http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/NYTimes041512.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}
Research
In 1975, Enstrom published a study which found that Mormons in California had lower cancer rates than did other Californians. This study, like several subsequent studies by Enstrom, was funded by the American Cancer Society (ACS), but in 1992, the society decided to stop funding his research, leading him to reluctantly turn to the tobacco industry for funding. In 2008, he published a study, along with Lester Breslow, which found that Mormons had longer life expectancies than non-Mormons.{{cite journal|last1=Enstrom|first1=James E.|last2=Breslow|first2=Lester|title=Lifestyle and reduced mortality among active California Mormons, 1980–2004|journal=Preventive Medicine|date=February 2008|volume=46|issue=2|pages=133–136|doi=10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.07.030|pmid=17920112}}{{cite web | url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705377709/UCLA-study-proves-Mormons-live-longer.html?pg=all | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927051114/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705377709/UCLA-study-proves-Mormons-live-longer.html?pg=all | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 27, 2012 | title=UCLA study proves Mormons live longer | work=Deseret News | date=13 April 2010 | access-date=6 September 2015 | author=Cannon, Mark W.}}
=BMJ study and controversy=
In 1996, Enstrom requested that the tobacco industry provide him with funds to conduct research into the health effects of passive smoking. From 1997 to 1998, he received three tobacco industry grants, the combined value of which was $700,000; most of this money was dedicated to his study on passive smoking.{{cite web | url=http://articles.latimes.com/2007/mar/28/local/me-tobacco28/2 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111121025447/http://articles.latimes.com/2007/mar/28/local/me-tobacco28/2 | url-status=dead | archive-date=November 21, 2011 | title=Tobacco funding of research reviewed | work=Los Angeles Times | date=28 March 2007 | access-date=10 May 2015 | author=Paddock, Richard C. | pages=2}} This study, published in BMJ in 2003, concluded that "The association between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and coronary heart disease and lung cancer may be considerably weaker than generally believed."{{cite journal|last1=Enstrom|first1=JE|last2=Kabat|first2=GC|title=Environmental tobacco smoke and tobacco related mortality in a prospective study of Californians, 1960-98.|journal=BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)|date=17 May 2003|volume=326|issue=7398|pages=1057|doi=10.1136/bmj.326.7398.1057|pmid=12750205|pmc=155687}} This study used data from one of the American Cancer Society's databases, which Enstrom had requested and received from the society.{{cite web | url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/02/08/regents | title=Tobacco on Trial in California | work=Inside Higher Education | date=8 February 2007 | access-date=10 May 2015 | author=Thacker, Paul D.}} Michael Thun of the American Cancer Society criticized Enstrom for not informing the ACS that he had requested or received funding from the tobacco industry. In September 2006, the ACS sent the University of California, Los Angeles a letter charging Enstrom with misrepresenting scientific evidence to deny that passive smoking was harmful.
In 2006, prosecutors in a federal racketeering case filed documents which stated that Enstrom had received $94,500 from the tobacco industry between 1992 and 1997. The following year, the judge in this case, Gladys Kessler, ruled that major tobacco companies were guilty of racketeering and misleading the public regarding the dangers of second-hand smoke, citing the paper co-authored by Enstrom in the BMJ as evidence of this.
Termination
In 2010, the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health announced that it would not be rehiring Enstrom because it felt his research was "not aligned with the academic mission" of their department.{{cite web | url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/scientists-firing-after-36-years-fuels-pc-debate-at-ucla/ | title=Scientist's Firing After 36 Years Fuels 'PC' Debate at UCLA | work=Fox News | date=31 August 2010 | access-date=9 June 2015 | author=Macedo, Diane}} In 2012, Enstrom filed a lawsuit in federal court against UCLA in response to them terminating his position there.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefire.org/whistleblowing-scientist-who-challenged-environmental-regulation-sues-ucla-2/|title=Whistleblowing Scientist Who Challenged Environmental Regulation Sues UCLA - FIRE|date=2012-06-14|work=FIRE|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-US}}{{Citation|last=TheGlobalDispatch|title=ACLJ David French interview Dr James Enstrom UCLA lawsuit|date=2015-03-17|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1jWRF_DUnk|access-date=2018-03-15}} The suit was represented by David A. French of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. In the suit, Enstrom said that UCLA administrators "discriminated against Dr. Enstrom based on his ideological and political affiliations and sought to purge an academic dissenter from their ranks."{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2012-jun-15-la-me-ucla-20120615-story.html | title=Researcher sues UCLA, says his firing was political | work=Los Angeles Times | date=15 June 2012 | access-date=9 June 2015 | author=Gordon, Larry}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/acljs-david-french-on-dr-james-enstrom-case-fake-phds-corrupt-science-and-peer-review-98145/|title=ACLJ's David French on Dr James Enstrom case: fake phDs, corrupt science and peer review|website=www.theglobaldispatch.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-15}} In 2015, the case was settled, with UCLA allowing Enstrom to use the title "retired researcher" and continue to access university resources.{{cite web | url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/415100/victory-academic-freedom-and-defeat-junk-environmental-science-david-french | title=A Victory for Academic Freedom and a Defeat for Junk Environmental Science | work=National Review | date=9 March 2015 | access-date=9 June 2015 | author=French, David}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefire.org/cases/university-of-california-at-los-angeles-non-reappointment-of-controversial-professor/|title=University of California at Los Angeles: Non-Reappointment of Controversial Professor - FIRE|work=FIRE|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefire.org/more-support-for-whistleblowing-ucla-professor-enstrom-case-becomes-class-assignment/|title=More Support for Whistleblowing UCLA Professor; Enstrom Case Becomes Class Assignment - FIRE|date=2011-08-16|work=FIRE|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefire.org/victory-enstrom-earns-favorable-settlement-in-first-amendment-retaliation-case-against-ucla/|title=Victory: Enstrom Earns Favorable Settlement in First Amendment Retaliation Case Against UCLA - FIRE|date=2015-03-06|work=FIRE|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/blog/corner/heres-one-way-reach-scientific-consensus-david-french/|title=Here's One Way to Reach Scientific Consensus {{!}} National Review|date=2015-03-12|work=National Review|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-US}} Enstrom said that he was not entirely satisfied with the settlement, but he believed it was the best compromise that could have been reached in the case.{{Cite news|url=http://dailybruin.com/2015/03/05/former-ucla-researcher-james-enstrom-reaches-settlement-with-uc/|title=Former UCLA researcher James Enstrom reaches settlement with UC|last=Maskara|first=Shreya|date=March 5, 2015|work=Daily Bruin|access-date=March 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313211744/http://dailybruin.com/2015/03/05/former-ucla-researcher-james-enstrom-reaches-settlement-with-uc/|archive-date=March 13, 2018}} Enstrom said, “I am a good scientist, a very honest scientist. If I didn’t fight I could have disappeared.”{{Cite news|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/blog/corner/left-loves-science-david-french/|title=The Left Loves Science? {{!}} National Review|date=2012-06-14|work=National Review|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/blog/corner/good-day-academic-freedom-david-french/|title=A Good Day for Academic Freedom {{!}} National Review|date=2013-03-22|work=National Review|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-US}}
Enstrom founded the Scientific Integrity Institute{{Cite web|date=2012-06-11|title=James E. Enstrom, Ph.D., M.P.H.|url=https://www.acsh.org/about-acsh/meet-the-team/james-e-enstrom-ph-d-m-p-h|access-date=2021-06-16|website=American Council on Science and Health|language=en}} for the purpose of complementing Enstrom's own research,{{Cite web|title=SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY INSTITUTE - Summary|url=http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/biography.html|access-date=2021-06-15|website=www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org}} and serves as its president.{{Cite web|title=SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY INSTITUTE - Biography|url=http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/biography.html|access-date=2018-03-15|website=www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org}}
References
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Category:American epidemiologists
Category:UCLA School of Public Health faculty
Category:Harvey Mudd College alumni
Category:Stanford University alumni
Category:UCLA School of Public Health alumni