March 9th 2022
Dear Fellows and Emeritus Fellows,
We hope that everyone is keeping well in these difficult times. Over the past few years the content of our early spring newsletters has been clouded first, by COVID-19 in 2020 and even 2021, and now by what is occurring in Ukraine.
We hope that all of you are well, wherever you are around the world. On behalf of the whole Collegium Ramazzini community, we express our solidarity and support to any of you who are experiencing the tragedy of war in Ukraine. To our Ukrainian fellows, we are all mindful of you daily and pray that you and your families are safe.
Even given the present circumstances, we remain optimistic that despite these ongoing challenges, we will still be able to meet together in October after such a long time. In the meantime – here is our digital update:
RAMAZZINI DAYS 2022 – Celebrating 40 years of the Collegium Ramazzini
Save the date for the Ramazzini Days 2022, October 27-30.
We are planning a special edition of the Ramazzini Days, finally back in person in Carpi. We hope that you all make plans to join us. Not only is it the first time we can be together for two years, but it is the 40th anniversary of the Collegium Ramazzini. It is also the 50th anniversary of the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the Ramazzini Institute.
During the Ramazzini Days, we will all go to the Castle in Bentivoglio, home of the Ramazzini Institute where we will have a special celebration of these anniversaries.
Please note, due to the additional activities to celebrate the CR anniversary, the Ramazzini Days will begin with the first Scientific Session on the afternoon of Thursday, October 27th. Please plan accordingly.
If you have any ideas regarding the scientific program, please contact the Priority Topics Chair.
Deadlines:
RAMAZZINI AWARDS
We invite you to submit nominees for the 2022 Ramazzini Award and Special Award.
Fellows are invited to submit nominations to the Awards Committee by sending them to the Committee Chair Henry Anderson.
Please include some background on the nominee including why you believe that the person deserves this award and their CV or biographical sketch. Henry will contact you directly if more information is needed.
COLLEGIUM RAMAZZINI COMMITTEES
In addition to the Executive Council, there are many fellows who play essential roles in this organization, taking care of CR Committees. Membership on a Committee is a practical way to take part in the ‘Life of the Collegium’ and we urge all Fellows, especially new Fellows, to consider volunteering on one or more of the Committees. As President Melissa McDiarmid presented during the 2021 Council of Fellows, here are the current Committees, a description of what they do, and the people who you should contact if interested:
- Communications Committee
Chair: Celeste MONFORTON
While active most prominently during Ramazzini Days, preparing live tweets and links to Fellows’ University and Agency twitter sites, raising our visibility, this committee plans a year-round agenda with additional volunteers.
Contact Celeste for details.
- Program Planning Committee
Chair: Carol RICE, (formerly also MCDIARMID)
Curating our annual Ramazzini Days program takes months and in addition to balancing the content and representation of participants across the program, the effort includes assisting authors with preparing abstracts in the required format for publication. Email Carol to volunteer.
- Ramazzini Award Committee
Chair: Henry ANDERSON
The work of this group is to select a worthy recipient of this annual award, always a challenge given the outstanding credentials of the nominated candidates. Talk with Henry if you’d like to help.
- Education, Training & Capacity Building Committee
Co-Chairs: William SUK & Denny DOBBIN
This is a newly integrated set of existing committees that plans CR outreach and responds to training requests.
Hopeful that Covid is receding, this committee is welcoming new members to participate in future programs.
- Ethics Committee
Chair: Karel VAN DAMME
This Committee provides an ethical review of CR Statements, documents, or positions taken when needed. Among our smallest committees, they could still use some new members.
- CR Statement Committee
Co-Chairs: Greg WAGNER and Dan HRYHORCHYK
This Committee serves as the organizational structure supporting the authoring teams developing CR Statements and acts as a liaison with the Executive Council on these projects. Please email Greg or Dan if interested in participating.
- Chemicals Committee
Chair: Ludwine CASTELEYN
This Committee includes subject matter experts who are the CR’s vigilant observers on important topics which may require CR action, such as a Statement or other type of public advocacy toward prevention of harm. This Committee is planning to review past actions and current activities to inform a present and future agenda. Please contact Ludwine with your interest.
- Globalization Committee
Chair: Lilian CORRA
This Committee’s focus is on SAICM efforts (The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management), which remain an important agenda for the CR. Given the hiatus of in-person meetings due to Covid, this Committee will be in dialogue with the Chemicals Committee in the coming year to determine current mission synergies. If you are interested in global chemicals management, please contact Lilian.
IN MEMORIAM
CR Fellow Richard Weeden passed away in late January 2022. As the NY Times obituary states, he was an “enthusiastic participant in the Collegium Ramazzini” for many years.
CR President Melissa McDiarmid writes:
“Though already a highly regarded academic nephrologist, Dick’s vocation to occupational medicine was recognized first by Irving Selikoff who was familiar with his work on lead as a cause of hypertension from studies he had done at the Veterans Hospital in East Orange, NJ, in the 1970s.
Recruited then by Selikoff, Dick was an early fellow of the Collegium. He continued seminal work in lead prevention both clinically and in his public service and was also a dedicated mentor to many, including me. Until very recently, a regular attendee of Ramazzini Days with his beloved, guitar-toting wife, Robbie, Dick was a vibrant presence among us, always ready to join the next teaching delegation to anywhere Ramazzini was called. His regular attendance was curtailed in the last few years by Parkinson’s. A true follower of Ramazzini and a beloved companion of many of us, he will be sorely missed by a world still in deep need of his many gifts.”
REACH US
Contacts
The General Secretariat of the Collegium is located in the Castle of Bentivoglio, near Bologna.
For any inquiries write us a message.
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