Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
May 05, 2003
Doctor who first linked smoking, lung cancer to speak at U of G
Sir Richard Doll, the doctor who, in 1950, first concluded that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, will speak at the University of Guelph May 16.
Doll, 90, a retired professor of medicine from the University of Oxford, England, will give a seminar on “Proof of Causality: Deduction From Epidemiological Observations” at 10:30 a.m. in Room 1200 of the Thornbrough Building. The seminar is open to the University community and general public.
“I am very pleased that Sir Richard is coming to Guelph,” said Keith Solomon, director of U of G’s Centre for Toxicology, who helped facilitate the visit. “This is a great opportunity for students and others to hear in person from one of the world leaders in epidemiology and from the person who first drew attention to the dangers of smoking and its link to disease.”
Doll is recognized throughout the world for his extensive contributions to the associations between environmental agents and cancer and for improving public health. He published the seminal paper showing a link between smoking and lung cancer in the British Medical Journal in 1950, and initiated the first relatively large cohort study on the subject. He followed up the research over the next 40 years and has published more than 400 papers on epidemiology and human health, including childhood cancer, the links between diet and heart disease and the health effects of electromagnetic fields.
This year, Doll was one of three recipients of the prestigious international Tyler Prize, which honours achievements of worldwide importance in environmental science policy, energy and health. He has won dozens of other awards, including the United Nations Award for cancer research in 1962, the Royal Society’s Royal Medal in 1986 and the Gold Medal from the European Society of Cardiology in 2000 for developing methods that led to the discovery of the adverse effects of smoking. He was knighted in 1971.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 53338, or Rachelle Cooper, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982.
