Ramazzini Award

During the annual Ramazzini Days, the Mayor of Carpi confers the Ramazzini Award on scientists deemed by the Collegium to have made outstanding contributions to furthering the aims of Bernardino Ramazzini in safeguarding public health. The diversity of the Collegium Ramazzini is reflected in the different accomplishments recognized by the Ramazzini Award. Awardees and their contribution to occupational and environmental medicine are listed below:

• 2026: Cranor Carl F. (USA)


• 2025: Philip J. Landrigan (USA)


• 2024: Ken Takahashi (Japan)


• 2023: Daniel Teitelbaum (USA)


• 2022: Morando Soffritti (Italy)


• 2021: Linda Birnbaum (USA)


• 2019: Richard Lemen (USA) for his extensive career as an epidemiologist and leader in occupational health. He has dedicated his professional life to protecting the health and improving the working conditions of people in countries around the world.


• 2018: Fernanda Giannasi (Brazil) for her leadership in the promotion of an asbestos-free Brazil and in broadening the rationale for supporting a worldwide ban on asbestos.


• 2017: Karel Van Damme (Belgium) for his efforts to improve the ethical basis for screening and monitoring practices in occupational medicine and for his advocacy and efforts to improve occupational safety and health protections in Belgium and internationally.


• 2016: Dr. Arthur L. Frank (USA) for his distinguished record of occupational health and safety research as well as his advocacy and service in the promotion of better occupational safety and health in developing countries and in the international fight to ban the use of asbestos.


• 2015: Professor Philippe Grandjean (Denmark) for his long career conducting and promoting environmental health research, especially his groundbreaking work on the effects of methylmercury and other environmental toxins affecting children and for his tireless advocacy of the need to protect future generations from the devastating effects of neuro- and developmental toxins. Full text of Ramazzini Lecture European Journal of Oncology Vol 20, No 1 (2016).


• 2014: Professor Benedetto Terracini (Italy) for his outstanding contributions as a pioneer of modern occupational epidemiology in Italy and throughout the world. His work has been constantly dedicated to improve workers' health through his research and advocacy on asbestos and other occupational and environmental exposures.


• 2013: Dr. John R. Froines (USA) for his outstanding career in occupational and environmental health research and advocacy, especially his pioneering work to develop the federal occupational lead and cotton dust exposure standards in the United States and his work in California that led to the recognition of diesel exhaust as a significant toxic air contaminant, preserving the health and the lives of millions.


• 2012: Sheldon W. Samuels (USA) for his for his leadership to improve occupational safety and health conditions for all workers and to promote a better moral and scientific basis for occupational and environmental health.


• 2011: Prof. Morris Greenberg (UK) for his seminal contribution to occupational medicine in the United Kingdom and his career-long dedication to the health, safety and well-being of workers.
   
• 2010: Prof. Marja Sorsa (Finland) for her scientific leadership in promoting the ethical aspects of occupational and environmental health research and practices.
   
• 2009: Prof. Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol (Thailand) for her vision, but also leadership and action in implementing the ideals of Bernardino Ramazzini in her home country and throughout the Asia Pacific region.
   
• 2008: Dr. Massimo Crespi (Italy) for his scientific and institutional contribution to the prevention, screening and early detection of cancer; and Dr. Bernard Goldstein (USA) for his contributions to understanding the health effects of toxins such as benzene and his promotion of science as a means to improve environmental and occupational health policy.
   
• 2007: Dr. Fiorella Belpoggi (Italy) for her advancement of the use of long-term bioassays to determine cancer risk from agents present in the industrial and general environment.
   
• 2006: Dr. Anders Englund (Sweden), for his important contributions to the health of workers in the construction industry worldwide; and Prof. Hans-Joachim Woitowitz (Germany), for his important contributions to the prevention of occupational diseases.
   
• 2005: Prof. Lorenzo Tomatis (Italy), for his outstanding contribution to the prevention of cancer, in particular the identification of industrial agents.
   
• 2004: Dr. Herbert L. Needleman (USA) for his outstanding scientific work, which has greatly contributed to the defense of the health of children and of the public at large.
   
• 2003: Prof. Olav Axelson (Sweden) for his outstanding scientific work, which has greatly contributed to the defense of the health of workers and of the public at large.
   
• 2002: Dr. Myron A. Mehlman (USA), for his dedicated and courageous service as a toxicologist, author and editor who has improved the lives of working men and women around the world.
   
• 2000: Dr. Eula Bingham (USA) for her life-long commitment and contributions to occupational health in the USA and worldwide.
   
• 1998: Prof. Joseph Ladou (USA) for his important work in new areas of industrial medicine; and Prof. Jorma Rantanen (Finland) for his exceptional contributions to occupational disease and its prevention.
   
• 1997: Prof. Samuel Milham (USA) for his outstanding contribution to the epidemiology of occupational disease, with particular reference to carcinogenic risk from electromagnetic fields.
   
• 1996: Prof. John C. Bailar III (USA) for his important contributions to the knowledge of epidemiological trends and to the prevention of cancer.
   
• 1995: Prof. Cesare Maltoni (Italy), for his studies on the identification of the carcinogenicity of many industrial agents; and Prof. J. Carl Barrett (USA) for his achievement in understanding the molecular determinants of cancer.
   
• 1994: Prof. David G. Hoel (USA) for his contribution to scientific knowledge on the oncogenic effects of nuclear radiation.
   
• 1993: Prof. Yasunosuke Suzuki (USA) for his contribution to the scientific knowledge on the pathology of mesotheliomas among asbestos-exposed workers.
   
• 1992: Prof. Luigi Giarelli (Italy) for his unique work on pathology-based epidemiology with regard to occupational cancer.
   
• 1991: Prof. Alice M. Stewart (UK) for her classic studies on carcinogenesis from ionizing radiation in humans, with particular regard to low dose exposure; and Prof. Friedrich Pott (Germany) for his contributions to the knowledge of carcinogenesis from natural and man-made fibers.
   
• 1990: Prof. Lars Ehrenberg (Sweden) for his basic studies on molecular genotoxicology, with particular regard to mutagenesis and carcinogenesis.
   
• 1989: Prof. David P. Rall (USA) for bringing advances in the knowledge of the relationship between the environment and human health; and Prof. Takeshi Hirayama (Japan) for his contributions to the knowledge of the role of lifestyle in the genesis of cancer.
   
• 1988: Prof. Johannes Clemmesen (Denmark), for his pioneering work on the epidemiology of cancer; and Prof. Thomas F. Mancuso (USA), for his research on occupational carcinogenic risks.
   
• 1987: Prof. Dietrich F.K. Schmahl (Germany), for his brilliant, dedicated work that has contributed so much to scientific knowledge concerning environmental and occupational disease - and to its use for the prevention of human suffering.
   
• 1986: Prof. Arthur C. Upton (USA), for his basic contributions to the knowledge of radiation carcinogenesis.
   
• 1985: Prof. Alberto Bisetti (Italy), for his contribution to clinical pulmonary diseases, particularly those which affect workers; and Prof. Norton Nelson (USA), for clarifying the association of environmental agents with human disease.
   
• 1984: Prof. Muzaffer Aksoy (Turkey) and Prof. Enrico C. Vigliani (Italy), for their contribution on the toxic and leukemogenic effects of benzene.