Jim Laidler
{{short description|American anesthesiologist and alternative medicine opponent}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = James R. Laidler
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| fields = Virology
| workplaces = Portland State University
| alma_mater = Pacific Lutheran University, University of Southern California, University of California San Francisco, University of Illinois at Chicago{{cite web | url=https://oregoniansforscienceandreason.org/events/fads-and-fallacies-in-autism/ | title=Fads and Fallacies in Autism | publisher=Oregonians for Science and Reason | date=23 June 2005 | access-date=1 September 2022}}
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| known_for = Opposition to autism therapies
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James R. Laidler is an American anesthesiologist in Portland, Oregon, who is known both for his activism for, and later his opposition to, alternative autism therapies.
Education
Laidler obtained his bachelor's degree from Pacific Lutheran University in biochemistry in 1981. He completed his residency in anesthesiology, as well as a fellowship in pain medicine, in Chicago and began treating autistic children in 2000.{{cite web | url=http://www.texasobserver.org/autism-inc-the-discredited-science-shady-treatments-and-rising-profits-behind-alternative-autism-treatments/ | title=Autism Inc.: The Discredited Science, Shady Treatments and Rising Profits Behind Alternative Autism Treatments | publisher=Texas Observer | date=30 January 2013 | access-date=8 October 2013 | author=Hannaford, Alex}} Laidler is an adjunct professor at Portland State University.{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-12-21/autism-cures-promised-by-dna-testers-belied-by-regulators |title=Autism Cures Promised by DNA Testers Belied by Regulators |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |date=21 December 2012 |access-date=8 October 2013 |author=Langreth, Robert |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603054151/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-12-21/autism-cures-promised-by-dna-testers-belied-by-regulators |archive-date= 3 June 2013 }}
Autism activism
Originally, Laidler was not only an outspoken advocate of alternative autism therapies, and often spoke at Defeat Autism Now! conferences, but had used many of them on his own sons, including chelation therapy, secretin, and a number of dietary supplements such as dimethylglycine.{{cite web | url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=desperate-for-an-autism-cure | title=Desperation Drives Parents to Dubious Autism Treatments | work=Scientific American | date=7 October 2010 | access-date=8 October 2013 | author=Shute, Nancy}} However, he had a change of heart after his son, who was on a gluten-free diet for his autism, ate a waffle at a buffet while his parents were distracted. Laidler says his son's doctors had told him that his son would experience a "total regression" were he to eat any gluten, but nothing actually happened.{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-autism-parents7-2009dec07-story.html | title=Autism therapies can get undeserved credit | work=Los Angeles Times | date=7 December 2009 | access-date=8 October 2013 |author1=Tsouderos, Trine |author1-link=Trine Tsouderos |author2=Callahan, Patricia |author2-link=Patricia Callahan}}{{cite magazine | url=https://www.wired.com/2015/04/alternative-medicine-believers-journey-back-science/ | title=An Alternative-Medicine Believer's Journey Back to Science | magazine=Wired | date=29 April 2015 | access-date=16 June 2016 | author=Levinovitz, Alan}} Another factor which motivated Laidler to change his mind was when his wife "secretly stopped the treatments and waited to see if he noticed a difference;" Laidler noticed no such difference and became convinced that such treatments are ineffective.{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/25/science/25treat.html?_r=0 | title=Experts Reject Some Therapies | work=New York Times | date=25 June 2005 | access-date=8 October 2013 |author1=Harris, Gardiner |author2=O'Connor, Anahad }} Since then, Laidler has become an outspoken opponent of alternative treatments for autism, particularly chelation therapy; for example when a child died after receiving it in 2005, Laidler said he was confident that the therapy was responsible for the child's death, saying, "This is what I've been holding my breath hoping wouldn't happen."{{cite web | url=http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-4902-curing_jamie_handley.html | title=Curing Jamie Handley | work=Willamette Week | date=12 October 2005 | access-date=8 October 2013 | author=Valdez, Angela}} Laidler appeared in a 2007 episode of Nightline along with Mark Geier, where he contended, in contrast to Geier's views on the topic, that thimerosal-containing vaccines do not cause autism.{{cite web | url=http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/siteindex/2007-Specials/special-2007-06-26-ABC-1.html | title=Nightline June 26, 2007 | work=Vanderbilt Television News Archive | access-date=8 October 2013}}
Scientific work
In the scientific literature, Laidler has published papers not only in his capacity as a professor at Portland State specializing in virology,{{Cite journal | last1 = Laidler | first1 = J. R. | last2 = Stedman | first2 = K. M. | doi = 10.1089/ast.2010.0463 | title = Virus Silicification under Simulated Hot Spring Conditions | journal = Astrobiology | volume = 10 | issue = 6 | pages = 569–576 | year = 2010 | pmid = 20735248| bibcode = 2010AsBio..10..569L | url = https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/bio_fac/39 }}{{Cite journal | last1 = Caldwell | first1 = S. L. | last2 = Laidler | first2 = J. R. | last3 = Brewer | first3 = E. A. | last4 = Eberly | first4 = J. O. | last5 = Sandborgh | first5 = S. C. | last6 = Colwell | first6 = F. S. | doi = 10.1021/es800120b | title = Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane: Mechanisms, Bioenergetics, and the Ecology of Associated Microorganisms | journal = Environmental Science & Technology | volume = 42 | issue = 18 | pages = 6791–9 | year = 2008 | pmid = 18853791| bibcode = 2008EnST...42.6791C }} but has also published a paper in Pediatrics, arguing that data from the United States Department of Education are unreliable for measuring autism prevalence,{{Cite journal | last1 = Laidler | first1 = J. R. | title = US Department of Education Data on "Autism" Are Not Reliable for Tracking Autism Prevalence | doi = 10.1542/peds.2004-2341 | journal = Pediatrics | volume = 116 | issue = 1 | pages = e120–e124 | year = 2005 | pmid = 15995012| doi-access = free }} a view he has reiterated on Quackwatch.{{cite web | url=http://www.autism-watch.org/general/edu.shtml | title=How "Educational Assessments" Skew Autism Prevalence Rates | work=Autism Watch | date=15 September 2004 | access-date=9 October 2013 | author=Laidler, James R.}}
Laidler is also well known for submitting a report to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System that a vaccine had turned him into the Incredible Hulk, which was then accepted and entered into the database; however it was later removed after Laidler was contacted by a VAERS representative and gave his permission to delete the record.{{cite web | url=http://www.neurodiversity.com/weblog/article/14/chelation-autism | title=Chelation and Autism | work=Neurodiversity.com | date=27 July 2005 | access-date=9 October 2013 | author=Laidler, James R.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060423090641/http://www.neurodiversity.com/weblog/article/14/chelation-autism|archive-date=23 April 2006}}{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tWRKH-bz6qgC&pg=PA106 | title=Your Baby's Best Shot: Why Vaccines Are Safe and Save Lives | publisher=Rowman & Littlefield | author=Hagood, E. Allison | year=2012 | pages=106–107| isbn=9781442215788 }} Knowingly filing a false VAERS report is a violation of Federal law (18 U.S. Code § 1001) punishable by fine and imprisonment.{{Cite web|title=VAERS - Report an Adverse Event|url=https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html|access-date=2021-05-23|website=vaers.hhs.gov}}
References
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External links
- {{cite web | url=http://www.autism-watch.org/about/bio2.shtml | title=Through the Looking Glass: My Involvement with Autism Quackery | work=Quackwatch | access-date=8 October 2013 | author=Laidler, James R.| date=7 December 2004 }}
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Category:American anesthesiologists
Category:American critics of alternative medicine
Category:Physicians from Portland, Oregon
Category:Portland State University faculty