Autism Blog - Richard Deth – gambling man

27 Apr 2009

Author: Kev
Comments: 11

Richard Deth – gambling man

Maybe you don’t know, or have forgotten who Richard Deth (pronounced to rhyme with ‘teeth’) is.

He is:

Richard Deth, Ph.D., is a neuropharmacologist, a professor of pharmacology at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, and is on the scientific advisory board of the National Autism Association. Deth has published scientific studies on the role of D4 dopamine receptors in psychiatric disorders, as well as the book, Molecular Origins of Human Attention: The Dopamine-Folate Connection. He has also become a prominent voice in the controversies in autism and vaccine controversy, due to his theory that certain children are more at risk than others because they lack the normal ability to excrete neurotoxic metals.

Deth became ‘hot property’ in the anti-vaccine autism groups after publishing a paper (with which there were numerous issues – see Bart Cubbins excellent video for details) that was funded by one of those anti-vaccine groups – Safe Minds. Interestingly, during an exchange with Kathleen documented at neurodiversity.com, it also came to light that Richard Deth was registered as a paid expert witness in the vaccine litigation omnibus proceedings. Professor Deth said:

“I thank you for alerting me to the fact that my name was included on that expert witness list. It was done so without my knowledge or permission. It might be related to a phone call from that law office that was logged to my office while I was away on vacation in February. I never returned the call.”

To which Kathleen replied replied:

“It was quite an oversight for the attorneys to fail to confirm your willingness to serve in that role prior to naming you as a plaintiffs’ expert in the Petitioners’ Initial Disclosure of Experts, and filing that document with the Court of Federal Claims. However, their certainty is understandable, given your indication during our brief telephone conversation that the lawyer with whom you discussed the matter was “Andy” Waters, lead attorney in the thimerosal cases.”

Deth didn’t comment any further. As many have discovered, if you want to go head to head with Kathleen you better make sure your i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed.

One of the statements Deth made during their exchange stood out to me at the time.

...I would like to make a virtual wager that within the next 18-24 months scientific evidence will make the thimerosal-autism link a near certainty. If you are willing, I’ll let you name the stakes.

Deth sent his email on March 22 2006. Luckily for him, Kathleen took pity on him and declined his rather gauche offer.

So what does this mean? What does it prove?

Why, nothing. Nothing at all. I just wanted LB/RB readers to be perfectly clear that a strong belief in a scenario doesn’t make one right. In fact, when we look at all the recent evidence for the various beliefs of the various anti-vaccine/autism groups – from the prediction that the Omnibus Autism cases would be a walkover for them, to David Kirby’s certainty that thiomersal causation would be vindicated by CDDS data in 2005, then 2007, to this example of ego from Richard Deth what we see is a clear picture of a set of people who are consistently and unerringly wrong. This is because they simply cannot see the science right in front of them. Even such an august figure as Richard Deth, Ph. D.

Link to this post?

If you want to reference this post in your site, use the code below to link to me from your website.

<a href="http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2009/04/richard-deth-gambling-man/">Richard Deth – gambling man</a>

Comments

11 Responses to “Richard Deth – gambling man”

Sullivan
April 27th, 2009
23:12:32

I’m a bit confused as to why he was denying his involvement with the Autism Omnibus.

He ended up in fact being an expert witness for the PSC

http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/.....%20pt3.pdf
Joseph
April 27th, 2009
23:44:28

I’m a bit confused as to why he was denying his involvement with the Autism Omnibus.

Are you sure you’re confused, Sullivan? Anti-vaxers are not known for the intellectual integrity.
Science-Based Medicine » The Greater Good: Pure, unadulterated anti-vaccine propaganda masquerading as a “balanced” documentary
November 7th, 2011
09:00:01

[...] many all purpose medical cranks, anti-vaccine), Dr. Shiv Chopra (who is anti-vaccine to the core), Dr. Richard Deth (who was an expert witness for the plaintiffs at the Autism Omnibus proceeding), Raymond Obamsawin [...]
The Greater Good: Pure, unadulterated anti-vaccine propaganda masquerading as a “balanced” documentary | Health Articles
November 7th, 2011
09:35:02

[...] many all purpose medical cranks, anti-vaccine), Dr. Shiv Chopra (who is anti-vaccine to the core), Dr. Richard Deth (who was an expert witness for the plaintiffs at the Autism Omnibus proceeding), Raymond Obamsawin [...]
The Greater Good: Pure, unadulterated anti-vaccine propaganda masquerading as a “balanced” documentary - InstantKEbooks Blog - InstantKEbooks Blog
November 12th, 2011
04:15:46

[...] many all purpose medical cranks, anti-vaccine), Dr. Shiv Chopra (who is anti-vaccine to the core), Dr. Richard Deth (who was an expert witness for the plaintiffs at the Autism Omnibus proceeding), Raymond Obamsawin [...]
McD
November 12th, 2011
09:58:45

Yet another reason I think LBRB rules. Absolutely no respect for argument from authority. Whatsoever. Keep it up.
Anti-vaccine propaganda lands in New York City this weekend « iluvimunisasi -"Love Them, Protect Them, Immunize Them"
December 20th, 2011
03:48:56

[...] many all purpose medical cranks, anti-vaccine), Dr. Shiv Chopra (who is anti-vaccine to the core), Dr. Richard Deth (who was an expert witness for the plaintiffs at the Autism Omnibus proceeding), Raymond Obamsawin [...]
Brian Deer strikes again: More evidence of the worthlessness of Andrew Wakefield’s “research” « iluvimunisasi -"Love Them, Protect Them, Immunize Them"
December 20th, 2011
03:54:37

[...] all purpose medical cranks, anti-vaccine), Dr. Shiv Chopra (who is anti-vaccine to the core), and Dr. Richard Deth, Raymond Obamsawin, among others. Here’s a hint: While trying to defend and anti-vaccine [...]
High Fructose Corn Syrup and Maternal Obesity: Autism Causes? | Care2 Causes
April 20th, 2012
23:10:31

[...] [...]
High Fructose Corn Syrup and Maternal Obesity: Autism Causes? | Autism PDA
April 21st, 2012
10:51:16

[...] one of this study‘s authors, neuropharmacologist Richard Deth, was familiar as he has been a proponent of the discredited claim that vaccines contribute to autism; has published a paper funded by the anti-vaccine organization Safe Minds; and was a paid expert [...]
Why that corn-syrup-and-autism study leaves such a sour taste | Grist
April 24th, 2012
00:11:11

[...] paper’s authors — at least one of whom has laid his colors bare when it comes to the debunked link between vaccines, mercury and autism — wave several red [...]