Tobacco Documents Online

ERNST L. WYNDER, M.D. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA RESEARCH FUNCTIONS American Health Foundation, New York President and Medical Director, 1969-present Sloan-Ketfiening Institute for Cancer Research, New York Asaisiant 1952-1954 Associate, 1954-1960 Associate Member, 1960-1969 Associate Scientist 1969-1983 Adjunct Member, 1984-present TEACHING APPC)IN1'MEIUTS Sloan-Kettering Division, Cornell Univessity, Medical School, New York Assistant Professor of Pteventive Medicine, 1954-1956 Associate Pnofessor of Preventive Medicine, 1456-1469 New York Medicall College, Valhalla, New York Clinical Professor of Community and Preventive Medicine, 199(kpresent HOSPITAL APPOINTM1U~iT5 Georgetown University Hospital, Washingbon, DC Intein, 1950-11951 Memo2ial_Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases, New York Department of Medicfne: Jr. Assistant Resident, 1951-1952 Sr. Assistant Resident, 1952,1954 Clinical Assistant Physician, 1954-1964 Assistant Attending Physician 1964-1969 Consulting EPidemiologist, 1969-present Adjunct member, 1984-present AWARDS Borden Undergraduate Research Award in Medicine, 1950 Sarah L Poiley Memorial Award, NY Academy of Sciences, 1979 NY State Health Education and Dlnesa Prevention Award, 1981 Distinguished Achievement Award, American Society for Preventive Oncology, 1984 Alton Gkhsner Award Relating Smoking and Health, 1988 Max von Pettenkofer Meda1, Max von Pet.taenhofer Institute, Munich, Germany, 1988 Lucy Wortham James Clinical Research Award, Society of Surgical Oncology, 1989 Nathan Pritikitt Pioneer Award, Nathan Pritikin Research Foundation, 1989 U.S, Surgeon General's Medal, 1989 Medal of Honor for Clinical Research, American Cancer Society, 1989 Honorary Life Member, American Association for Cancer Research, 1990 Distinguished Clinician Award, Milken Family Medical Foundation, 1990 Robert Koch Medal, The Robert Koch Society, Germany, 1990 Worid Conference Award, 7th World Conference on Tobacco & Health, 1990 Clinical Oncology Research Julia Hudson Freund Lecture Award, Washington University, St Louis, 1990 Officers Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1991 Doctor of Science [hc.], New York Medical College, 1992

R: REDACTED MATERIAL •MEMBERSHIPS SERVICE ACITVTPIES Taak Force on Lung Cancer; Tobacco Working Group of the National Cancer Institute, 1967 Committee on Tobacco and Cancer, American, Cancer Society 1867-1968 Research and Development Policy Advisory Committee to the National Center for Health Services, Research and Development 1968-present Epidemiology Advisor to the Third National Cancer Survey, 1968-1973 Task Force on Atherosclerosis of the National Heart and Lung Institute, 1970-19711 White House Conference on Children, 1971 National Cancer Plan Conference, 1971 American Cancer Society National Committee on Cancer Prevention and Detection,, 1979=1981, Board of Scientific Counselosa, Division of Resources, Centecs, and Community Activities of the National Cancer Institute, 1980-1983 Initiator and Organizer of Several National and International Conferences Testified before Congressional and Senate Commitbees on Health- and Science-Related Matters American Cancer Society Select Committee for Comprehensive School Health Education, 199a-present American .Cancer Society Policy Advisory Committee, 1994-preaent Member Scientific Advisory Council of the Nathan Pcitildn Research Inatitute, 1991-1992 Member Honorary Committee of the 9th World Conference on• Tobacco and Health, France, 1994 EDITORIAL FUNCTIONS Editorial Advisory Board, Cancer Research, 1970-1973 Editor4n-Chief, Preventive Medicine, 1972-present Editorial Board, Nutrition and Cancer, 1978-present Editorial Advisory Board, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, 1991-1994 EDUCATION New York University, NY: B.A. 1943 Washington University, St. Louis, MO_ B- Med. Sci. 1950 Washington University, St. Louis, MO: M.D. 1950 PERSONAL DATA Ernst L Wynder Birthplace: Birthdate Military Setvice: U5 Aimy, Intelligence 1943-1945 Marital Status: Social Security ... . . ~'~.'~. : _ _.

R: REDACTED MATERIAL BIOGRAPHY ERNST L. WYNDER, M.D. President, American Health Foundation Dr. Ernst L. Wynder founded the American Health Foundation in 1969, as a research organization uniquely devoted to preven- tion of major chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease, and has served as its president since then. Dr. Wynder's first research linking lung cancer and cigar- ette smoking appeared in 1950 and was republished recently as "landmark research" in the Journal of the American Medical Asso- ciation. He has pioneered research strategies that further the understanding of the role of nutrition and alcohol in cancer causation, especially the effects of a low-fiber, high-fat diet on breast and colon cancer. In the area of heart disease and cholesterol, Dr. Wynder has advocated mass cholesterol screening for adults and universal testing for children over age two, as well as dietary changes lowering intake of saturated fat and) cholesterol as prevention for heart disease. Based on his primary research, Dr. Wynder has developed' extensive health promotion programs designed to lower the inci- dence of chronic diseases. He has pioneered a nationally recog- nized school health education program, which is currently used in 60 schools in ten states. Additionally, Dr. Wynder and the American Health Foundation have developed publications about many health issues. Dr. Wynder is a leading consultant to corpora- tions and government orqanizations interested in promoting health education. Born in, R ~ ~°A C e~ vr`:.r9' he earned his Bachelor of Science and Mecti.cal degree from Washington University, St. Louis (1950), interned at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington DC, and completed his residency in internal medicine at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital. Dr. Wynder has been on staff at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, since 1954 when he was Head of their Dept. of Epidemiology, and presently holds the position of Adjunct Member. He also holds the position of Clinical Pro- fessor, Dept. of Community and Preventive Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, N.Y. Dr. Wynder is a widely recognized medical authority. He has served on many task forces, workshops, and advisory committees for.the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Soci- ety. He has authored over 600 scientific articles. Among his distinctions are the Alton Ochsner Award Relating Smoking and Health, 1988; the Lucy Wortham James Clinical Research Award, Society of Surgical Oncology, 1989; The Surgeon General's Medallion, U.S. Public Health Service, 1989; the Nathan Pritikin Pioneer Award, 2989; the American Cancer Society's 1989 Medal of Honor For Clinical Research; Honorary Membership in the American Association of Cancer Research, 1990; the Robert Koch Gold Medal, 1990; and the Milken Family Medical Fdn. Distinguished Clinican Award, 1990, the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1991.

SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF ERNST L. WYNDER, M.D. 1. He is generally given credit that his initial study linking cigarette smoking and lung cancer, regarded by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) as a landmark article, was not only a, crucial work establishing the causative association between cigarette smoking and lung cancer but also presented a key contribution to modern epidemiology. 2. After joining Sloan Kettering Institute in New York City and becoming its first Chief of Epidemiology, he contributed baseline epidemiological case-control studies on most major cancer sites, including those in the breast, ovary and endometrium, cervix, prostate, oral cavity, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, and bladder. Among these, his paper on cervical cancer published in 1954 was regarded' as a landmark article by the World Health Association (WHO). 3. His epidemiological studies were not limited to cancer but also included studies on risk factors for coronary artery dis- ease, Plummer-Vinson disease, and chronic bronchitis, as well as methodological studies in epidemiology. 4. To him, the world is his laboratory, and he associated him- self with investigators in many other countries resulting in joint studies dealing largely with comparative epidemiological studies including those in Japan, Finland, Israel, Sweden, India, and China. 5. Early on, he emphasized the need for interdisciplinary approaches to cancer etiology. His group was the first to pro- duce skin cancer in animals with tobacco tar in 1953 and on the ear of rabbits in 1957. He also organized a group of chemists that identified the main tumorigenic substance in, tobacco smok- ing. In this area, he was joined in 1957 by Dr. Dietrich Hoffmann who is one of today's outstanding experts on tobacco chemistry. 6. His ability to attract outstanding colleagues and to or- ganize programs in cancer etiology and prevention is exemplified by the American Health Foundation, which-he founded in 1969 and which today has a staff of about 250. The American Health Foundation today is probably the best recognized cancer pre- vention center in the United States and receives most of its funding from peer-reviewed grants and contracts from the National Cancer Institute. 7. He always felt strongly that identifying a risk factor served as a prologue to reducing or eliminating it, thereby, hopefully leading to a decline in the prevalence of disease. The American Health Foundation has a,strong health promotion division that works side by side with divisions involved iln laboratory research. Within the field of health promotion, the Know Your Body School Health Education Program (KYB) has received his

2. special attention. The program is designed to modify all types of health behavior by students beginning in the first grade. EiYs philosophy is perhaps best embodied in the statement that "it should be the function, of medicine to help people die young as late in life as possible.' His lifelong efforts from basic research to application have added much to our current knowledge about risk factors for cancer and several other non- communicable diseases and has contributed greatly to the way preventive medicine is surveyed today both by the academic community and public.