VCU Worried About Research for Big Tobacco

Source from:  Sep 03, 2008 By The Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. 09/05/2008

Faculty and students told a Virginia Commonwealth University panel that they're concerned about the moral and ethical implications of entering research agreements with tobacco giant Philip Morris USA and other corporations. Wednesday's meeting was the final one held by the task force, formed in the wake of a controversy over a consulting contract between VCU and Richmond-based Philip Morris USA. The group is expected to consider whether to refuse research funding from tobacco companies, as several other schools have, and will issue its recommendations to VCU President Eugene P. Trani by Oct. 1. A number of speakers told the task force that the university should rethink whether its researchers should sign "work-for-hire" agreements with Richmond-based Philip Morris, a unit of Altria Group Inc. The forum was open only to faculty, staff and students. Religious studies professors David Bromley and Mark Wood presented a statement on behalf of several faculty that noted that the VCU Medical Center's mission to "improving the health of all people" is at odds with that of Philip Morris, whose revenue comes from "the sale of products that are deadly, toxic and addictive." They also argued that entering partnerships with tobacco companies implies "moral complicity," and expressed concerns about what they consider the university's tarnished public image. "The way to restore our standing is to divest ourselves of all linkages to Philip Morris and other tobacco firms," the statement said. Bromley said the task force should form a review board to evaluate the ethical standards of the school's research partnerships. "We don't have a set of moral standards, but we should," Bromley told the panel, which includes top research officers from each of the university's schools, as well as six faculty members. Several schools nationwide have opted to ban tobacco funding, including the medical schools at Harvard and Emory universities and the schools of public health at Ohio State and Johns Hopkins universities. The University of California system voted last year to allow tobacco-industry research funding for projects approved by a scientific review committee. VCU agreed in 2006 to conduct research identifying early signs of pulmonary disease and reducing wastewater pollution from a Philip Morris plant. The company prohibited university faculty and students from discussing the results, which many faculty members have said contradicts the mission of academic research. Panel chairman Francis Macrina on Wednesday reiterated a statement he made at a previous hearing, admitting that the secrecy of the Philip Morris contract was a mistake. Gerald Miller, chairman of the department of biomedical engineering, said the university should guard against adopting a policy that would hinder industry-sponsored research that involves non-tobacco companies, such as medical device makers, and that VCU should be "careful on how we deal with ethics across the board." Several students questioned why there are no students on the task force and expressed concerns that the school's reputation is at stake, possibly diminishing the value of a VCU degree. Philip Morris has donated millions of dollars to the university and many community groups. The university has had longtime ties to tobacco, once the area's dominant industry. Trani is on the board of Richmond-based Universal Corp., which owns Universal Leaf Tobacco. A message seeking comment was left after hours with Philip Morris. Enditem