Collegium Ramazzini

December 5th 2025

Tribute to the Life and Work of Sheldon Samuels

Sheldon Samuels, a founder with Drs. Irving Selikoff and Cesare Maltoni of the Collegium Ramazzini, and its first treasurer, passed away on November 25,2025 in Virginia. He was 96 and in declining health in his last years.

March 15th 2024

Remembering Dr. Richard “Rick” W. Niemeier

It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of retired National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) employee, Dr. Richard “Rick” W. Niemeier, who worked for NIOSH for 36 years.

November 15th 2023

Death of Fellow Joseph LaDou, November 10, 2023

Our colleague Joseph “Joe” LaDou of Aspen, Colorado, died unexpectedly on November 10, 2023, after a brief illness.*

July 13th 2022

Remembering John Radford Froines

John Radford Froines, PhD, a powerful advocate for social justice, a leader in occupational and environmental health, and a Fellow of the Collegium Ramazzini died on July 13, 2022 in Santa Monica, California. He was 83. His death was caused by complications of Parkinson’s disease.

John Froines is best known as a member of the famed Chicago Seven, the group accused of conspiring to incite a riot during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. That aspect of John’s life is brilliantly recounted in his New York Times obituary of July 14, 2022

NY TIMES OBIT

May 30th 2022

Death of Fellow Raúl Harari (1 August 1948 – 30 May 2022)

It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Dr. Raúl Harari. Raúl was born in 1948 and passed away on May 30th, 2022, with his family at his side.

Raúl was born in Córdoba, Argentina. He held a Medical Degree from the National University of Córdoba, Argentina, a Specialization in Public Health from the Central University of Ecuador and a Doctoral Degree in Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene from the University of Milan, Italy. After working as a medical practitioner in Internal Medicine for a few years in Argentina, he moved to Ecuador during the years of the military dictatorship. In Ecuador, he worked as a medical practitioner in rural Andean areas. Subsequently in Quito, he did a pioneering effort aimed at improving safety at work and preventing occupational diseases, in cooperation with local unions. Raúl advised many Ecuadorian trade unions in dozens of collective bargaining agreements.

February 13th 2022

Goodbye to CR Fellow Richard Wedeen

Published by New York Times on Feb. 13, 2022.

Richard P. Wedeen, M.D., passed away Wednesday, January 26, 2022, after a difficult battle with COVID-19 pneumonia at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, N.J., the town he resided in since 1969. Dr. Wedeen attended Friends Seminary in NYC, Harvard University class of 1955, and NYU Bellevue Hospital Medical College class of 1959. He was an internist and nephrologist, and Professor of Medicine and Professor of Occupational Medicine at UMDNJ (New Jersey Medical School), and Associate Chief of Staff for Research & Development at the VA New Jersey Health Care System. Dr. Wedeen was the author of Poison in the Pot: The Legacy of Lead, and creator and co-editor of Toxic Circles - Studies in Occupational & Environmental Hazards from the Workplace into the Community. Richard, commonly known as Dick, always loved a good discussion, mentoring and becoming lifelong friends with students. He was a founding member and past president of the New Jersey History of Medicine Society, and an enthusiastic participant in the Collegium Ramazzini, a society concerned with ethics and health in public policy. Through Operation Crossroads Africa, he led a medical team in Nigeria in 1964 and also worked as a doctor in Sierra Leone and Ghana, subsequently winning grants for medical care and research. Dick was a man of research and science, a lover of the arts and the cultures of humanity. He was an adventurous world traveler, collector of art treasures, and a prize-winning photographer of people and their creative works in Africa and Central and South America. Dick was also a talented sculptor. As an athlete he loved skiing and cycling until hampered by Parkinson's. Dick was the beloved husband of 64 years to Roberta Rubien Wedeen, a loving father to son Timothy and daughter-in-law Christine Kavanagh, and a delighted grandfather to their daughters MacKenzie and Tierney Wedeen. He was a cherished brother to his sister Joan Wedeen Blumenfeld, now deceased. He is mourned by nieces Karen Blumenfeld and spouse Andrew Nierenberg; Laurie Russo and husband Robert Russo; and by nephews Eric Blumenfeld, David Rubien, Andrew Rubien and partner Christine d'Ascoli. Patriarch of a warm extended family, Dick will be sorely missed by family, friends and colleagues. "Good night, sweet prince, And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!" . Visitation on Thursday, February 17, from 11am- 11:45am at the Barrett Leber Funeral Home, 148 Dean Dr., Tenafly, NJ. Funeral Service at 11:45am at Barrett Leber Funeral Home. Interment to follow at Brookside Cemetery, 425 Engle St., Englewood, NJ. Livestream information will be available on our website at www.barrettleber funeralhome.com. (201-568-8043). The family requests that guests wear masks. A Memorial will be held at a more favorable time in the future.

October 18th 2021

Obituary for CR Fellow Professor Yonah Amitai, 1947-2021

The Collegium Ramazzini mourns the death of our dear friend and Fellow of the Collegium Ramazzini, Professor Yonah Amitai of Israel, who died on October 16, 2021 at the age of 74.

Obituary

September 17th 2021

Morris Greenberg: occupational health specialist on a lifelong quest to make the world asbestos free

Read the obituary of CR Fellow, Morris Greenberg just published in the British Medical Journal. The article was written by John Illman and is called “Morris Greenberg: occupational health specialist on a lifelong quest to make the world asbestos free”

Read full BMJ article here

August 23rd 2021

Remembering CR Fellow Morris Greenberg

Morris Greenberg, one of the earliest members of the Collegium Ramazzini, died on August 19th. Please click below to read his eulogy, prepared by CR Fellow Barry Castleman and the CR statement issued in 2011 when Morris won the Ramazzini Award.

August 13th 2021

Eulogy for Robert “Bob” Rinsky

The Collegium Ramazzini sadly announces the death of former CR Fellow, Robert "Bob" rinsky. Click below to read the words of the eulogy prepared for him by the CDC.

April 11th 2021

Eulogy for Professor Vito Foà

We sadly report that Collegium Ramazzini Emeritus Fellow, Vito Foà passed away on 19 October 2020.

November 20th 2020

In Memoriam: Prof. Dr. Lygia Therese Budnik

With great sadness, the Collegium Ramazzini announces the death of Professor Lygia Therese Budnik a very engaged Fellow of the Collegium since 2014. Lygia passed on November 20, 2020 after her long, valiant battle with cancer.

June 24th 2020

New York Times Article celebrating Collegium Ramazzini Fellow Eula Bingham

June 15th 2020

Eulogy for Eula Bingham

With great sadness, the Collegium Ramazzini announces the death of Professor Eula Bingham, long-time Fellow and Past President of the Collegium Ramazzini, a globally recognized champion for the health and safety of working people. Here below is the text of her Eulogy and attached a document with poignant memories of Eula from her community of friends and colleagues around the world.

March 2nd 2020

Eulogy: Dr. Charles Xintaras, Sc.D.

Collegium Ramazzini Fellow (emeritus) Dr. Charles Xintaras passed on March 2, 2020, at the age of 91 years, 6 months, in peace at his daughter's home in Cincinnati, Ohio.

July 13th 2015

In Memorium: Collegium Ramazzini Fellow Paul J. Lioy

The Collegium Ramazzini is deeply saddened by the premature loss of Fellow Paul J. Lioy, an active member since 1998. Colleagues at Rutgers have created a memorial website to honor Paul: http://paullioy.com/. The following obituary appeared in the New York Times on Sunday 12 July 2015.

March 24th 2015

In Memorium: Collegium Ramazzini Emeritus Fellow Marek Jakubowski

Emeritus Fellow of the Collegium Ramazzini Marek Jakubowski passed away on 14 March 2015 after a two-year battle with cancer.
Professor Jakubowski was a member of the scientific staff of the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Lodz, Poland, its Scientific Secretary and the Head of the Department Chemical Hazards. In his research he focused mainly on the toxicology of heavy metals and on the development of biological monitoring of environmental and occupational exposures.
For the last few years he was the principal investigator of a research project aimed at the evaluation of health risks from exposure to cadmium, manganese and volatile organic compounds, supported by the Polish Government. He was also coordinator of research carried out in Poland and financed by the European Commission such as Gene polymorphism and biomonitoring of styrene, Development of a coherent approach to human biomonitoring in Europe, and by the European Chemical Industry Council on Biological monitoring of exposure- trends and key developments.
Professor Jakubowski was a member of the WHO task groups developing the Air Quality Guidelines for Europe and documents on the Health Risk of Heavy Metals and POPs from Long range Transboundary Air Pollution. He belonged to the ICOH Commission on Occupational Toxicology and the served as head of the commission preparing scientific documentation of Occupational Exposure Limits in Poland. He published over 120 scientific articles and book chapters (e.g. in Patty's Toxicology and Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals). He fully retired from the Institute two years ago.
Marek Jakubowski will be remembered as an excellent scientist and a colleague who gave great satisfactions to all those who were fortunate to cooperate with him or work under his leadership.
Marek is survived by his beloved wife Elzbieta, two sons and four grandchildren.

March 3rd 2015

In Memorium: Collegium Ramazzini Emeritus Fellow and Past President Arthur C. Upton (1923-2015)

Emeritus Fellow and Past President of the Collegium Ramazzini Dr. Arthur Canfield Upton passed away on 14 February 2015. Dr. Upton was internationally recognized for his research on the health effects of ionizing radiation and other hazardous environmental agents. Born on February 27, 1923, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he spent his childhood, he graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover, MA, and, subsequently, from the University of Michigan, from which he received both the bachelor's and medical degrees (1944 and 1946 respectively).

February 23rd 2015

In Memorium: Collegium Ramazzini Fellow Maths Berlin (1932-2015)

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Collegium Ramazzini Fellow, Professor emeritus MD, PhD Maths Berlin on January 26, 2015 at the age of 83.

January 8th 2015

Peter Wardenbach in Memoriam (1945-2014)

Collegium Ramazzini Emeritus Fellow Dr. Peter Wardenbach peacefully passed away on November 29th, 2014 at the age of 69 at home, surrounded by his family. He leaves his wife Linda, 3 children and 3 grandchildren behind.

May 21st 2008

Dr. Philip J. Landrigan to be honored with the 4th Irving J. Selikoff Memorial Award on June 5, 2008

The Collegium Ramazzini is pleased to announce the conferment of the Irving J. Selikoff Memorial Award to Professor Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc. The ceremony will be held at 11 am on Thursday, June 5, 2008 in the Hatch auditorium of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, located at 1468 Madison Avenue (@ E. 100th Street), New York, NY. Following the presentation of the award, Dr. Landrigan will deliver a lecture entitled “The Future of Occupational and Environmental Medicine”. All Fellows and friends of the Collegium Ramazzini are cordially invited to attend the event.

In Memoriam