Kelly A. Dougherty, PhD recently received an award from the NIH that will support her investigation of vitamin A supplementation and sickle cell disease.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has announced that its Formulary – the list of medications approved for use – will no longer include most dietary supplements. The hospital said the action was being taken because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not routinely review the manufacturing of dietary supplements, and therefore cannot guarantee their safety and effectiveness.
Paul Offit, MD, chief of Children’s Hospital’s Division of Infectious Diseases, has long been a magnet for controversy. A co-creator of the rotavirus vaccine Rotateq, Dr. Offit’s willingness to speak his mind, question popular (and at times ill-informed) wisdom, and to defend science against its detractors has earned him many vocal critics over the years. For example, he has received hate mail and even death threats for working to debunk the now discredited connection between vaccines and autism.
