2023: Nancy Olivieri
Nancy Olivieri, a Senior Scientist at Toronto General Hospital, was awarded the 2023 John Maddox Prize for her communication of the importance of being open with patients about medical research, which has followed her own determination to act with integrity in raising concerns from trials on the experimental drug deferiprone for the blood condition thalassaemia, in the face of extreme pressure from the company producing it, ultimately at great personal cost.
Nancy’s experience has demonstrated that universities should not look away when research misconduct happens and how speaking out can cause you to “end up being alienated from the field that gave your life’s work meaning”.
In 1996, Nancy Olivieri was working at the SickKids Hospital in Toronto, acting as lead investigator in a clinical trial of deferiprone, when she began to suspect the drug was causing serious adverse events. Apotex, the drug manufacturer and a funder of the trial, disagreed. When Olivieri indicated that she intended to inform participants of her concerns, Apotex terminated the trials and invoked a confidentiality agreement in the research contract and threatened legal action if she made the findings public. Undeterred, Nancy shared her results at a scientific meeting and submitted them for publication.
Through her actions, Nancy continues to champion the importance of patient safety. Nancy sued Apotex for libelling her and Apotex sued Nancy for libelling deferiprone. In 2000 Nancy was fired from her position at SickKids hospital and charged with professional misconduct, despite the fact it was revealed that the hospital had received a large donation from Apotex. In 2011, the FDA issued approval for deferiprone as “last resort” therapy, to be prescribed only after first-line therapies had failed, cautioning that no controlled trials of deferiprone had demonstrated direct treatment benefit.
Chelsea Polis
Chelsea Polis, a senior scientist of epidemiology at the Population Council’s Center for Biomedical Research, New York, was awarded the 2023 Maddox Early Career award for her courage in challenging false marketing claims made by medical device manufacturers; for effective popular communication; and for her analysis of the flawed research used to market a fertility tracking thermometer, known as Daysy, as a contraceptive, which she communicated effectively in the face of lawsuits and threats.
Chelsea’s works shows that “The scientific world recognises when you stick your neck out and do the right thing” and that in an age of disinformation, that researchers and clinicians must call out wrongdoing when they see it.
In 2018, Valley Electronics published a study purporting to estimate contraceptive effectiveness of Daysy, the data was used to market the device as being 99.4% effective for contraception. After her privately raised concerns were ignored, Chelsea published an analysis of the study in response. Her analysis revealed the study’s flawed research methodologies relating to the collection and analysis of the data and called for the paper to be retracted. The study was eventually retracted after an investigation by the journal found that the conclusions were unreliable due to selection bias, and retrospective self-reporting of whether pregnancies were intentional.
Chelsea’s efforts in the face of intimidation and threats highlight the importance of ensuring that scientific evidence effectively supports claims made by medical device companies.
In 2023 the judges also shortlisted Linda Guamán, Peter Hotez, Helen Joyce and Shabir Madhi, whose experiences demonstrate a global problem in good science not being made public and the challenges faced by many scientists who have spoken out in defence of sound science and evidence. Their examples show the importance of defending the principles of scientific research and integrity and the courage needed to do so.
2022: Eucharia Oluchi Nwaichi
Dr Eucharia Oluchi Nwaichi, is a biochemist at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. She was awarded the 2022 John Maddox Prize for engaging communities in conflict to research solutions to pollution in the oil fields of the Niger Delta.
Nwaichi has shown how Citizen science can heal societal divisions. “The power of science is that people can prove that this wasn’t done based on bias or someone’s personal interests,” she said, and of the Maddox Prize: “Scientists like me are emboldened by this singular award to confront obstacles and ensure credible evidence is used to inform policies for sustainable development.”
Through her constructive approach using scientific evidence, Nwaichi has been able to resolve a dispute between local communities and an oil company on the effects of liquid waste on fish stocks in Rivers State, diffusing a conflict that threatened to escalate into violence.
She continues to work with local communities to trial new methods for soil remediation despite the intense personal threat to her from representatives of a different oil company, whose officials confiscated her recordings and data and objected to the work being conducted by a woman. Nwaichi and her team are currently working on formulating slow-release nutrients to counter soil exhaustion.
2021: Elisabeth Bik
Dr Elisabeth Bik, a passionate advocate of research integrity, was awarded 2021 John Maddox Prize for outstanding work exposing widespread threats to research integrity in scientific papers.
Bik, a science integrity consultant, has been recognised for exposing data manipulation, plagiarism, image manipulation or methodological concerns in almost 5000 scientific papers, and communicating her findings directly to the public in an effort to improve public understanding of the importance of research integrity.
Bik’s efforts have led to the retractions and corrections of published scientific papers and inspired the creation of industry standards to establish mechanisms for journals to screen images in submitted papers. The award elevated discussion of what she refers to as “the tsunami of poor quality research” during the Covid-19 pandemic. Elisabeth is virtually alone in operating in the public eye, in sharing her findings directly with the public, and in her tireless efforts to improve public understanding of the importance of research integrity. Through her Science Integrity Digest, she encourages the public and other scientists to learn how to spot manipulated data. Most recently, Bik faced intimidation, online harassment, threats of violence and legal action after raising serious concerns about research claims regarding a now-discredited COVID-19 treatment.
Mohammed Sharif Razai
An additional prize for someone considered to be early in their career was awarded to Dr Mohammed Sharif Razai, a clinical fellow at St George’s, University of London, for bringing an evidence-based understanding of racial health inequalities to bear in public and policy debates.
Razai’s work tackles racial health inequalities; from vaccine hesitancy among ethnic minority groups, to revealing systemic racism as a fundamental cause and driver of adverse health outcomes. Razai has written several important and influential papers and has done innumerable medial engagements, despite being on the receiving end of hate mail, intimidation, and harassment by anti-vax groups. He described the award as “the biggest highlight of my career so far”, adding that “Sir John Maddox set an example for researchers and clinicians like me, to stand up for what is right and never sidestep controversy even if it receives a hostile reception in high places.”
2020: Anthony Fauci and Salim Abdool Karim
Dr Anthony Fauci and Professor Salim S. Abdool Karim, key government health advisors for the United States of America and South Africa, were awarded the 2020 John Maddox Prize for standing up for science during the coronavirus pandemic.
Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and Karim, an infectious diseases epidemiologist and director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa have been recognised for going beyond the line of duty as government advisors on health, and their exceptional communication of the science behind Covid-19 to the public and policymakers.
Fauci is receiving the prize in recognition of his work to help the public understand both the science behind complex and controversial public health issues, and how the nature of science influences government responses. While other government scientists have avoided the spotlight, he has steadfastly responded to questions from the public. In South Africa, Karim showed similar dedication. He has a reputation for clear and honest communication, something that has allowed him to generate public trust in fast-moving science. In response to receiving the prize, Karim spoke about tackling fake news and debunking false claims as “a moral obligation” for scientists. Respected for his international science advocacy, engaging with the media and the public has become integral to his role as a scientist. The enormous achievements of Karim and Fauci call back to their work tackling AIDS. Over 30 years ago, Fauci oversaw much of the US government’s medical response to the AIDS crisis, while in the early 2000s Karim was one of one of the scientists who spoke out against AIDS denialism.
Anne Abbott
Associate Professor Anne Abbott, a neurologist from the Central Clinical School at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia was awarded the early career prize for her perseverance in challenging traditional medical treatment of carotid stenosis, which can lead to strokes, and communicating new evidence that showed the potential to move away from unnecessary clinical interventions and procedures. The prize has helped vindicate her work and change medical practice. Abbott encountered strong opposition as she attempted to publicise her research findings, but continued to challenge the status quo at personal cost, placing patients’ health and public knowledge first.
Since winning the John Maddox prize, Abbott has gone on to publish several peer reviewed papers in vascular surgeries and neurology showing potential to move away from unnecessary clinical interventions and procedures. Currently, she is adjunct Associate Professor of Neurology at Monash University where she supervises PhD students. She leads an international expert stroke prevention group and continues to advocate that lifestyle changes and medication alone can make huge improvements to people at risk from the thickening of their arteries.
2019: Bambang Hero Saharjo
Professor Dr. Ir. H. Bambang Hero Saharjo, Bogor Agricultural University, is the foremost expert on illegal and destructive forest and land fires in Indonesia, and the winner of the 2019 Maddox Prize. Peatland forest fires, which are often started by companies who want to clear land cheaply and quickly, including palm oil companies, cause enormous environmental damage; up to 5 September, global fires this year have released more carbon dioxide than annual emissions from the EU and Japan combined. They are also incredibly dangerous, recent Indonesian fires are said by Unicef to be putting 10 million children at risk. Bambang’s expertise allows him to trace the route and source of fires and he has testified in 500 court cases investigating fires. He has also helped local groups to understand the evidence about health and environmental damage. In 2015 Bambang’s testimony was instrumental in palm oil company JJP’s guilty verdict; in 2018 they filed a $33.5 million lawsuit (SLAPP) against him on a technicality. He continues to testify and stand up for the Indonesian people’s constitutional right to a healthy environment, one of the very few scientists in his field who are prepared to do so.
In his award, he said the prize “is a major encouragement for me to keep going”, and made him better able to withstand the threats, with coverage in dozens of outlets including the Jakarta Post, Guardian, Kompas, Riau Online, Mongabay, BBC Radio, MenaFN and the Times. Since winning the prize, he has published several peer reviewed papers in various journals in areas of environment, fire behaviours and carbon emissions emphasising the route and source of illegal forest and land fires which leave millions of children at risk. He is currently a lecturer in silviculture at the faculty of forestry, IPB university, Indonesia, and also supports Sense about Science on the risk know-how project which helps communities make sense of risk information.
Read more about the 2019 prize.
Olivier Bernard
Olivier Bernard, a pharmacist from Quebec, was awarded the 2019 John Maddox Prize for an early career researcher for standing up to alternative health proponents who lobbied for the government to “approve and reimburse” high dose vitamin C injections for cancer patients, which have no basis in evidence. Bernard spoke out repeatedly, describing the scientific evidence and speaking directly to politicians and affected groups. He endured a campaign of harassment, including complaints to his employer and professional body, revealing the address of the pharmacy where he works, a smear campaign, calls for a boycott of his wife’s books, as well as death threats to him and his family. He stood up to this barrage of harassment, and his strength in speaking out has resulted in the creation of a government taskforce to protect scientists who speak on sensitive topics, and an inter-professional advisory committee to support healthcare professionals who speak publicly.
The prize gave him a wider platform to raise the issue that “Scientists are being threatened for doing their jobs” and his belief that “It’s important to defend science, to stand up to those kind of threats”. Since receiving the prize, he has had a series of radio interviews on topics including the safety of osteopathy, homeopathy, and acupuncture. He frequently makes YouTube videos and podcast mini-series encouraging the public on vaccine uptake. He continues to promote science communication by deconstructing wrong beliefs in order to help people, and has supported Sense about Science on the Risk know-how initiative.
Read more about the 2019 prize.
2018: Terry Hughes
Professor Terry Hughes, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and a world leading expert on the Great Barrier Reef, won the John Maddox Prize 2018 for his tireless and courageous efforts in communicating research evidence on coral reef bleaching to the public and for tackling the misrepresentation of coral reef science. In doing so, he experienced hostility from politicians, public figures and the Australian tourist industry. In the face of efforts to discredit his research, personal criticism and smears in the media, Terry redoubled his efforts to communicate with the widest possible audience, using diverse means and reaching mainstream media around the world.
Hughes has said the award “goes beyond the normal nerdy science medals. It’s about science with a public conscience.” Since winning the prize, he has also received numerous awards including the Huntsman Medal for Excellence in Marine Science, from the Royal Society of Canada, and the Climate Change Award, from the Prince Albert II Foundation, in Monaco. In 2020, he was recognized by the Spanish BBVA Foundation, as recipient of a Frontiers in Knowledge Award. He continues to work on biodiversity, coral bleaching, reef recovery and governance to integrate the science of coral reef resilience with decision-making and management.
Read more about the 2018 prize.
Britt Hermes
Britt Hermes, a former naturopath, was awarded the John Maddox prize for an early career researcher in recognition of her advocacy and writing on evidence-based medicine – in particular her exposure of false claims made by proponents of naturopathy, which she has highlighted as both dangerous and ineffective. The judges were particularly impressed by her willingness to question her own views, the discomfort involved in communicating about the practices of former colleagues, and her continued commitment in the face of lawsuits and personal harassment. She used the award to challenge the idea of “allowing alternative facts to generate profit at the expense of people’s health and safety.”
Since winning the John Maddox prize, Hermes has won the lawsuit for defamation brought against her by an American naturopath in 2019. She continues her advocacy and writing on evidence-based medicine and exposing of false claims made by proponents of naturopathy, and communicates the importance of trials to determine effectiveness, particularly in the practice of naturopathy via her blog Naturopathic Diaries.
Read more about the 2018 prize.
2017: Riko Muranaka
Dr Riko Muranaka is a journalist and lecturer at Kyoto University, she was recognised for her work championing the use of evidence in public discussions of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine. Her work to put the evidence for the safety of the vaccine clearly before the public continued in the face of attempts to silence her with litigation and undermine her professional standing. In persisting, she tried to ensure that a scientific account of the weight of evidence is available not only for Japanese families but for public health globally.
The John Maddox prize led to the courts revisiting their decision not to allow scientific evidence in her testimony and her book publisher to reverse its decision to cancel her book. According to Dr Katsuyuki Kinoshita, chairman of the Japanese Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, “The John Maddox Prize to Dr. Muranaka gave a tremendous impact to the restart of the proactive recommendations for the HPV vaccine, whose discussion was stopped as “a dangerous vaccine”.
Her story has been widely covered by major media outlets and has also appeared on BBC World News discussing the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine in Japan. She continues to champion the use of evidence in public discussions of the HPV vaccine by co-authoring scientific papers and combatting fake news in science.
Read more about the 2017 prize.
2016: Elizabeth Loftus
Professor Elizabeth Loftus was awarded the international 2016 John Maddox Prize for courage in promoting science and evidence on a matter of public interest, despite facing difficulty and hostility in doing so. A cognitive psychologist at the University of California, Irvine, Loftus is recognised for her leadership in the field of human memory which continued in the face of personal attacks and attempts to undermine her professional status and research.
In an emotional acceptance speech, Loftus described lawyers searching her office and confiscating her research and that these are not things an academic should expect. The recognition is a good thing,” she said, “after you have been through some of the things that happened to me – death threats, insults, lawsuits, people trying to drum up letter writing campaigns to get me fired – it’s really important to have something come along like this.”
She is currently working at the Department of Criminology, Law, and Society at the University of California, with additional appointments in the university’s Department of Cognitive Sciences and the Centre for Neurobiology, and remains to combating inaccurate information in research.
Read more about the 2016 prize.
2015: Edzard Ernst and Susan Jebb
Professor Edzard Ernst, Emeritus Professor at Peninsula Medical School, was recognised for his long commitment to applying scientific methodologies in research into complementary and alternative medicines and to communicating this need. Ernst continued in his work despite personal attacks and attempts to undermine his research unit and end his employment.
Ernst’s sustained efforts to communicate the need for complementary and alternative medicines was covered by media globally. Since winning the prize, he has also received the Ockham Award in 2017 which is an award given to people who work hard to send great messages out, and received two visiting professorships.
Professor Susan Jebb, Professor of Diet and Population Health at the University of Oxford, was recognised for her promotion of public understanding of nutrition on a diverse range of issues of public concern, from food supplements to dieting. Jebb tackled misconceptions about sugar in the media and among the public, and endured personal attacks and accusations that industry funding compromised her integrity and advisory capabilities yet continued to engage with the public and the media despite this.
Jebb‘s promotion of public understanding of nutrition on issues of public concern, including food supplements, dieting and tackling misconceptions about sugar in the media was covered globally. Since winning the John Maddox prize, she has been appointed Fellow of the Medical Academy of Sciences. She authored peer reviewed publications on diet and population health and over 20 publications in 2021.
Read more about the 2015 prize
2014: Emily Willingham and David Grimes
Dr Emily Willingham, a US writer, brought discussion about evidence, from school shootings to home birth, to large audiences through her writing. She has continued to reach across conflict and disputes about evidence to the people trying to make sense of them.
Since winning the John Maddox prize, Willingham has published 3 books on various science topics. Her book ‘The Informed Parent’ presents the latest scientific research on home birth, breastfeeding, sleep training, vaccines, and other key topics so parents and can make best-informed decisions in an era of questionable information and facts on the internet.
Dr David Grimes was awarded the prize for writing bravely on challenging and controversial issues, including nuclear power and climate change. He persevered despite hostility and threats, towards his writing about the evidence in the debate on abortion in Ireland. He does so while sustaining his career as a scientist at the University of Oxford. Grimes has recently published a book titled ‘The Irrational Ape’ which shows how easy it is to be lured into making critical mistakes or drawing false conclusions, and how to avoid such errors. He is a frequent panellist on BBC World Weekend, and makes appearances on both radio and television. He has authored several scientific papers focusing on mathematical modelling, conspiracy theories, meta-research and health modelling.
Read more about the 2014 prize.
2013: David Nutt
Professor David Nutt was awarded the prize in recognition of the impact his thinking and actions had in influencing evidence-based classification of drugs, in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world, and his continued courage and commitment to rational debate, despite opposition and public criticism. Nutt is the Edmond J Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London.
Nutt is the founder of the Drug Science journal where he is currently the Chair of the scientific committee. He is currently the Editor of the Journal of Psychopharmacology. He has written several publications on cannabinoids, long covid, brain mind and drug testing. He is currently the Edmond J. Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology and director of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit in the Division of Brain Sciences. He frequently appears on the media and videos talking about science, drugs, and topics on neuropsychopharmacology. In 2014, he was appointed President of the European Brain Council and in 2016 was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Association of Psychopharmacology.
Read more about the 2013 prize.
2012: Simon Wessely and Fang Shi-min
Fang Shi-min, a freelance science journalist based in Beijing, was awarded the Prize for his bravery and determination in standing up to threats to his life to uncover clinics promoting unproven treatments, and to bring a wide public readership to the importance of looking for evidence. For the last decade, Shi-min has focused on his scientific writings and debunking efforts in the expanding cybersphere of China’s social media and has quickly acquired a huge fan base. In 2013, he was recipient of the Cliff Robertson Sentinel Award bestowed by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners at their annual Global Fraud Conference held in Las Vegas. He is frequently on the media devoting his time in promoting the general public’s understanding towards science.
Simon Wessely, Professor of Psychological Medicine at King’s College London, was awarded the Prize for his ambition and courage in the field of ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) and Gulf War syndrome, and the way he has dealt bravely with intimidation and harassment when speaking about his work and that of colleagues. Wessely also faced death threats for showing there was no simple causal association between common viral infections and chronic fatigue syndrome, and offering evidence-based treatment instead.
In 2021 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and has written several hundreds of scientific publications, most recently on COVID-19 and conspiracy theories, mental health care in military populations, and post-traumatic stress disorder in alcohol use.
Read about the latest winner or nominate someone for the prize