DuPont recently announced two new members of its external Biotechnology Advisory Panel — Father Kevin FitzGerald, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C., and Dr. Sven Thormahlen, Danone Group, France. The current panel has eight members who bring important and diverse viewpoints to the broad area of biotechnology and its application in agriculture, food and bio-based materials.
Established in 2000, the DuPont external Biotechnology Advisory Panel is an independent panel charged with providing counsel to guide DuPont's actions, help create positions on important issues, as well as challenge the organization in the development, testing and commercialization of new products based on biotechnology.
"The unique, diverse and global perspectives of our panel members have proven to be valuable assets to our decision-making process as we bring new products to market," said DuPont Chairman and CEO Charles O. Holliday, Jr. "They provide a thoughtful, global perspective to the opportunities and concerns associated with biotechnology and its careful and deliberate application."
FitzGerald is noted for his work and expertise within the life science arena and Thormahlen for nutritional science:
- Father Kevin T. FitzGerald, S.J., Ph.D., Father FitzGerald is internationally known and sought after for his expertise in human genetic engineering, cloning and stem cell research. A research associate professor in the Department of Oncology at Georgetown University Medical Center, and the Dr. David Lauler Chair in Catholic Health Care Ethics, his research interests include investigation of abnormal gene regulation in cancer and ethical issues in genetics. For the past 10 years, FitzGerald has served as an ethics consultant for the National Society of Genetic Counselors and is also an ethics consultant to the March of Dimes and the Unites States Catholic Conference. He is also a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Program on Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion.
- Dr. Sven Thormahlen is vice president of the Research and Development Organization of the Danone Group, a world leading company in the field of dairy products, biscuits and mineral water. Dr. Thormahlen has held a variety of positions within the Research and Development organizations of leading healthcare and consumer goods companies throughout France, Germany and the United States. His experience covers product research, product development, clinical studies and quality assurance.
The work of the advisory panel is facilitated by the Keystone Center, a non-profit organization based in Keystone, Colo. As part of its responsibilities, the panel audits DuPont's progress and provides a public report on a regular basis. This report is available at http://www.dupont.com/biotech/difference/advisory.html.
The other panel members include:
- Dr. Arthur Caplan, Emanuel and Robert Hart Chair for Bioethics and director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Caplan is an internationally known bioethicist.
- Professor Chunming Chen, founding president of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and currently senior advisor and professor of nutrition. Professor Chen is an internationally recognized expert in nutrition.
- Dr. Pablo Eyzaguirre, senior scientist for anthropology and socio-economics in the Genetic Resources Science and Technology group of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) based in Rome. Dr. Eyzaguirre is a specialist in social and ecological anthropology, tropical farming systems, and agrarian institutions.
- Carol Tucker Foreman, well-known and respected consumer advocate and a distinguished fellow and director of the Consumer Federation of America's Food Policy Institute. Foreman has had a major impact on diet and health in the United States over the last 25 years.
- Dr. V. Prakash, director of the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in Mysore, India. He is internationally known for his work in sustainable food and nutrition security. As a scientist in the area of biotechnology, Dr. Prakash has won a large number of awards and is a member of several international committees.
- Dr. Florence Wambugu, executive director of A Harvest Biotech Foundation International (AHBFI), which fights hunger, malnutrition and poverty in Africa and the developing world by assisting and equipping farmers to produce an abundant sustainable harvest of healthy nutritious crops. Dr. Wambugu is an internationally known scientist.
DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by solving problems and creating solutions that make people's lives better, safer and easier. Operating in more than 70 countries, the company offers a wide range of products and services to markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.
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07/19/04