2015 Physicians Committee Annual Report

CHANGING MEDICINE. SAVING LIVES. ADVANCING HUMAN HEALTH AND ETHICAL RESEARCH.

2015AnnualReport

www.pcrm.org

Mission

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health

organization dedicated to saving and improving lives through good

nutrition, advanced medical research, and public policy advocacy.

Vision

Creating a healthier world through a new emphasis on prevention, plant-

based nutrition, and scientific research conducted ethically, without

using animals.

Table of Contents

2 We Work to Save Lives

6 Costly Chimpanzee Experiments

8 Harmful Heart Failure Research

11 Killer Cholesterol

12 The Western Diet

13 Hazardous Hospital Foods

15 Transforming Nutrition Research

16 Publishing Plant-Based Studies

17 Accelerating Alcohol and Antibodies Research

18 Healing Hearts

21 Championing New Chemical Testing Methods

22 Purging Processed Meats

25 Schooling Scientists

26 Modernizing Medical Education

28 Alleviating Alzheimer’s Disease

29 Fighting Diabetes

30 Improving School Lunches

32 Leadership

33 2015 Consolidated Fiscal Year Report

2015 ANNUAL REPORT 1CHANGING MEDICINE. SAVING LIVES.

2 2015 ANNUAL REPORT PHYSICIANS COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE MEDICINE

At the Physicians Committee, we work to save lives.


2015 ANNUAL REPORT 3CHANGING MEDICINE. SAVING LIVES. 2015 ANNUAL REPORT 3CHANGING MEDICINE. SAVING LIVES.


Some experimenters are causing cancer, diabetes, and other diseases in animals.



They misguidedly hope that cruel

experiments on animals will cure diseases in

people…2015 ANNUAL REPORT 5CHANGING MEDICINE. SAVING LIVES.


Costly Chimpanzee Experiments

After years of work by the Physicians

Committee, the National Institutes of Health

announced in November 2015 that it is

ending all federally supported chimpanzee

experimentation. It’s a major milestone in the

Physicians Committee’s mission to promote

ethical and scientifically sound research.

Milestones

2009: The Physicians Committee lobbies

Congress to pass the Great Ape

Protection Act.

2010: Spring/Summer: More than 150 U.S. representatives support GAPA. Physicians

Committee experts facilitate the introduction of a companion Senate bill.

September: The Physicians Committee files a complaint urging the Department of Health

and Human Services to halt plans to send chimpanzees retired at the Alamogordo Primate

Facility in New Mexico into active experiments at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute.

2011: January: NIH confirms that no more Alamogordo chimpanzees will be moved. The

Institute of Medicine (IOM) conducts an in-depth review of the use of chimpanzee

experimentation. The Physicians Committee works behind the scenes to remove IOM

committee members with conflicts of interest.

March: The Physicians Committee files a complaint stating that NIH acted unlawfully

when in summer 2010 it transferred 14 Alamogordo chimpanzees, including Katrina, to

Texas for use in experiments.

August: Physicians Committee director of academic affairs John Pippin, M.D., testifies

before the IOM committee about the medical and ethical reasons for ending chimpanzee

experimentation.

The Physicians Committee files a petition with the federal government stating that

Texas Biomed is in violation of the Animal Welfare Act by using 14

chimpanzees in experiments.

In 2002, Katrina was retired after years of experiments that infected her with hepatitis B and C and HIV. But in 2010 she was sent back to a laboratory. In 2015, the National Institutes of Health ended experimentation on Katrina and all chimpanzees.


December: The IOM releases its landmark report finding that chimpanzees are not

needed to develop an HIV vaccine, hepatitis C antiviral drugs, or treatments for a wide

range of other human illnesses. Hours later, NIH suspends all new grants for chimpanzee

experiments and confirms that no more Alamogordo chimpanzees will be transferred to

Texas.

2012: Following a Physicians Committee public appeal, NIH says it will retire all of its

chimpanzees used in experiments at New Iberia Research Center to the Chimp Haven

federal sanctuary.

2013: The Physicians Committee praises NIH’s decision to accept recommendations in a Council

of Councils Working Group report that recommends immediately phasing out federally

funded chimpanzee experiments. But Physicians Committee doctors oppose NIH’s

decision to hold 50 chimpanzees for future experiments.

2015: NIH announces that it will end all federally supported chimpanzee experimentation.

Chimp Haven federal sanctuary

“As a physician who formerly conducted research on animals, I know that it’s a decision that benefits the lives of chimpanzees like Camillo as much as it benefits yours and mine.”

—Physicians Committee director of academic affairs John Pippin, M.D., in his op-ed “Chimps Rescued from Pointless Experiments,” Dec. 2, 2015

Camillo


Harmful Heart Failure Research

In 2015, the Physicians Committee continued

to pressure Wayne State University to end the

heart failure experiments it has performed

on hundreds of dogs for the past 25 years.

Physicians Committee member Sharon

Kemper, D.O., a Wayne State professor,

testified before the Wayne State Board of

Governors and delivered petitions from more

than 200 Michigan physicians calling for an

end to the experiments.

At the same time, a billboard near Wayne

State highlighted the fate of a dog named

Madonna who died in the university’s

laboratory.

Madonna was killed after being used in heart failure experiments at Wayne State University.

Letter from 231 Michigan Physicians

to the Wayne State University Board of Governors

Urging an End to Invasive Dog Experiments

As a Michigan physician, I am writing to ask that the Wayne State University Board of Governors use its authority and influence to halt the use of dogs in heart

failure experiments. As the federal grant for these experiments expires on March 31, 2016, now is an opportune time for the board to insist that the university

focus its resources on human-relevant research.

During the ongoing experiments, each dog may undergo as many as four surgeries and have up to 12 medical devices implanted in his or her body. Those dogs

who survive the surgeries are then run on treadmills while heart failure is induced by rapid ventricular pacing. At the end of the experiments all dogs are killed.

As elected officials, you are beholden to the people of Michigan, who badly need their state-funded institutions to invest in effective prevention and treatment

programs and research. Yet Wayne State has been using federal grant money for canine heart failure experiments for more than 20 years without producing

anything to advance human health. In that time, more than $8.1 million has been spent on these dog experiments, with more than $6.5 million of that allocated

to the heart failure grant expiring in March 2016.

Please put an end to these experiments in order to help improve the health of Michigan residents.

Very truly yours,

Andrea Abessinio, D.O.

St. Clair Shores

Hisham Ahmed, M.D.

Lapeer

Adelita Alcala, M.D.

N. Muskegon

Anthony Alcantara, M.D.

Clinton Township

Louise Aloe, M.D.

Livonia

Thomas Anan, M.D.

Novi

Nina Anderson, M.D.

Sterling Heights

Anita Asadorian, D.O.

Caledonia

Taher Ata, M.D.

Clarkston

William Athens, Jr., M.D.

Brownstown

Marie Awad, D.O.

Shelby Township

Susan Bannon, M.D.

Kalamazoo

Lenise Banse, M.D.

Clinton Township

Wayne Bedell, D.O.

Midland

Roberto Benejam, M.D.

Dearborn

Seth Bernard, D.O.

Flint

William Bernard, D.O.

Flint

Seth Bernard, D.O.

Flint

Nada Beydoun, D.O.

Dearborn Heights

John Beyer, D.O.

Holland

Smita Bijlani, M.D.

Rochester Hills

Jacob Blazo, D.O.

Saint Joseph

David Boger, D.O.

Chelsea

Rudy Bogoian III, M.D.

Big Rapids

Harry Borovik, M.D.

Traverse City

David Brownstein, M.D.

West Bloomfied

Gina Buccalo, M.D.

Utica

Mitchell Carey, M.D.

East Jordan

Kelly Clark, M.D.

Traverse City

Ivan Co, M.D.Ypsilanti

Lauri Conroy, M.D.

Macomb

Robin Cook, M.D.

Marquette

Jayne Courts, M.D.

Caledonia

Mark Cowan, M.D.

Marquette

John Crayne, M.D.

Lambertville

Richard Cross, M.D.

St. Clair Shores

George Czertko, M.D.

Warren

Sudha Damidi, M.D.

Rochester Hills

Ronald D’Angostino, Jr., D.O.

L’Anse

Olubukola Davies-Jones, M.D.

St. Clair Shores

Karen Denbesten, M.D.

Petoskey

Alan Dengiz, M.D.

Ann Arbor

James Denier, M.D.

Clinton Township

Christina Desousa, M.D.

Dearborn

Marek Didluch, M.D.

Flint

Ryan Dodde II, M.D.

Holland

Diane Donley, M.D.

Traverse City

Lori Dotson, M.D.

South Haven

Tammy Drew, D.O.

Kalamazoo

Ross Driscoll, M.D.

Kalamazoo

John Ebrom, M.D.

Grand Rapids

Marcel Elanjian, D.O.

Dearborn

Craig Elliott, M.D.

Muskegon

Michael Engel, M.D.

Norton Shores

Enrique Enriquez, M.D.

Allen Park

Juan Estigarribia, M.D.

Dearborn

Patricia Ferguson, M.D.

Bingham Farms

Richard Ferro, D.O.

Okemos

Richard Fici, D.O.

East Detroit

Debbie Filek, M.D.

Bay City

C Peter Fischer, M.D.

Ypsilanti

Michael Fox, D.O.

Livonia

Balvant Ganatra, M.D.

Flint

Carmen Garcia, M.D.

Kalamazoo

Elias Gennaoui, M.D.

Allen Park

Pinhas Geva, M.D.

Lansing

Jennifer Glance, D.O.

St. Clair

Mark Goetting, M.D.

Portage

George Goffas, M.D.

St. Clair Shores

Michael Goldfarb, M.D.

Dearborn

David Grekin, M.D.

Saint Joseph

Rajinder Grewal, M.D.

Rochester Hills

Neesha Griffin-Berry, M.D.

Southfield

Teresa Griffith, M.D.

Alpena

Michael Gruber, M.D.

Bay City

Carla Guggenheim, D.O.

Lansing

Christopher Gunnell, M.D.

Saint Ignace

Nestor Guno, M.D.

Grayling

Luzette Habib, M.D.

Ann Arbor

Lorette Haddad, M.D.

Livonia

Khaled Hafez, M.D.

Ann Arbor

Mahmood Hai, M.D.

Westland

Teri Hammer, D.O.

Belleville

David Hammond, M.D.

Grand Rapids

Rafia Haque, M.D.

Allen Park

Mark Harbeck, M.D.

Novi

Daniel Harber, D.O.

Dearborn Heights

Randal Harris, M.D.

Detroit

Carrie Hecht, M.D.

Ada

Paul Heidel, M.D.

Holland

Michael Hertz, M.D.

Ann Arbor

Darren Herzog, M.D.

Royal Oak

Matthew Hettle, M.D.

Clarkston

Leon Hochman, M.D.

Bingham Farms

Nicholas Hountras, M.D.

Holland

Nelu Ioan Cristof, M.D.

Sault Ste. Marie

Todd Irwin, M.D.

Ann Arbor

Nadheer Issa, M.D.

Sterling Heights

William Jackson, M.D.

Marcellus

James Jackson, D.O.

Muskegon Heights

Randall Jacobs, M.D.

Warren

Mohammad Jafferany, M.D.

Saginaw

Benjamin Johnson, M.D.

Marshall

Gary Jones, M.D.

Dearborn

Jacob Kalo, M.D.

Warren

Clara Kamath, M.D.

St. Clair Shores

Kami Kefalonitis, M.D.

St. Clair Shores

Rashid Khalil, M.D.

Novi

Shabbir Khambati, M.D.

Milford

Vijay Khanna, M.D.

Taylor

Usha Kilaru, M.D.

Bloomfield Township

Ann Knapp, M.D.

Dorr

Karen Koby-Olson, M.D.

Gaylord

Robert Kolodziejczyk, M.D.

Grand Rapids

Patricia Kolowich, M.D.

Detroit

Craig Kuesel, D.O.

Traverse City

Jason Ladwig, M.D.

Kalamazoo

Christie Laming, M.D.

Burtchville

Theresa Larsen, M.D.

Lake Orion

Christyne Lawson, M.D.

Bingham Farms

Mary Lazar, M.D.

Royal Oak

Sang Lee, M.D.Warren

Douglas Leppink, M.D.

Grand Rapids

Howard Leroux, Jr., M.D.

Muskegon

Robert Levy, M.D.

Dearborn

Edward Linkner, M.D.

Ann Arbor

Thomas Longley, M.D.

Brighton

Barbara Lucas, M.D.

Dearborn

Joseph Luna, M.D.

Davison

Jeanne Lusher, M.D.

Rochester Hills

Shyam Mahesh, M.D.

Bloomfield Hills

Aye Mar, M.D.Battle Creek

Curtis Marder, M.D.

Marquette

Timothy Marsh, D.O.

West Branch

Emily Mathias, M.D.

Grosse Pointe

Ryan McConnell, D.O.

Charlevoix

Percy McDonald, M.D.

Port Huron

Rodney McFarland, M.D.

Bay City

Manilal Mewada, M.D.

Burton

Jeffrey Miller, M.D.

Kalamazoo

Kenneth Minks, Jr, M.D.

Grand Rapids

Glynda Moorer, M.D.

East Lansing

George Moser, M.D.

Clarkston

Joel Moses, M.D.

Oak Park

Nagla Moustafa, M.D.

Plymouth

George Murakawa, M.D.

Troy

Timothy Murphy, M.D.

Ludington

Mary Myrick, M.D.

Escanaba

David Nadeau, M.D.

Norton Shores

Vijay Naraparaju, M.D.

Grand Blanc

Gerald Natzke, D.O.

Flint

Alan Neiberg, M.D.

Lansing

Kristin Nikolakeas, D.O.

Grand Blanc

Billy Nordyke Jr, D.O.

Brownstown

Thomas Nussdorfer, M.D.

Traverse City

Justin Oldfield, M.D.

Ann Arbor

Allan Olson, D.O.

Marquette

Mariano Orca, M.D.

Sturgis

David Osher, M.D.

Franklin

Mark Ottmar, M.D.

Saint Joseph

Lakshmi Palakurthi, M.D.

Troy

Sarah Pasia, D.O.

Port Huron

Joel Pelavin, M.D.

St. Clair Shores

Jean-Marie Pierre, M.D.

Belleville

Linda Plizga, D.O.

Warren

Arturo Prada, M.D.

Rochester Hills

Ajay Raman, D.O.

Novi

Michael Raphelson, M.D.

Kalamazoo

Adriana Raus, M.D.

Owosso

Denise Rehfuss, M.D.

Lincoln Park

Tom Rifai, M.D.

Birmingham

Susan Ritter, M.D.

Marquette

Naheed Rizvi, M.D.

Midland

Cornelius Robens, M.D.

Traverse City

Kathleen Rollinger, D.O.

Clinton Township

Martin Romero, M.D.

Williamston

Michael Rosen, M.D.

Livonia

Dawn Rosser, M.D.

Hastings

Stacey Ruff, D.O.

Rochester Hills

Mubashir Sabir, M.D.

Farmington Hills

Lucille Saha, M.D.

Flint

Cheryl Sales, D.O.

Grand Rapids

Karen Samples, D.O.

Trenton

Raphael Sapeika, M.D.

Bloomfield Township

Geralyn Sarti, M.D.

Birmingham

Evon Schexnaydre, M.D.

Spring Lake

Steven Schlabach, D.O.

Rochester Hills

Patricia Schmidt, D.O.

Bloomfield Township

Robert Schneiderman, D.O.

Mason

John Schram, D.O.

Spring Lake

Mark Schury, D.O.

Macomb

Elizabeth Shadigian, M.D.

Ann Arbor

Brad Shammout, D.O.

Clinton Township

Colleen Sheehan, M.D.

Franklin

Laila Shehadeh, D.O.

Warren

Michael Sherbin, D.O.

Bloomfield Township

Regina Simone, D.O.

Northville

Ravinder Singala, M.D.

Grand Blanc

Edward Sladek, M.D.

Lansing

Frank Smith, M.D.

Ypsilanti

Malgorzata Sobilo, M.D.

Rochester Hills

Kim Soden, M.D.

Ann Arbor

Terri Steppe, D.O.

Petersburg

Andrew Sulich, M.D.

St. Clair Shores

Ibrahim Syed, M.D.

Saline

Mushtaque Syed, M.D.

Troy

Henry Szelag, D.O.

Weidman

Manharial Tejura, M.D.

Monroe

Travis Terrell, M.D.

Ceresco

Sharon Tice, M.D.

Novi

Teresita Timban, M.D.

Troy

Anh Tran, M.D.

Midland

William Trinkaus, M.D.

St. Clair Shores

John Trupiano, M.D.

Birmingham

Joyce Vaclav, D.O.

Grosse Ile

Mildred Vazquez, M.D.

Eastpointe

Alex Vlahopoulos, D.O.

Grand Rapids

Marit Vogel, M.D.

Petoskey

Leslie Walsh, D.O.

Rochester Hills

Steven Walvisch, M.D.

Mt. Pleasant

Ping Wang, M.D.

Warren

Rhonda Whelan, D.O.

Owosso

James Wiaduck, M.D.

Norton Shores

Marilyn Williams, M.D.

Brighton

Alvin Williams, M.D.

Detroit

Alicia Williams, D.O.

Kalamazoo

Gabriel Williams IV, M.D.

Grand Rapids

William Workman, D.O.

Kalamazoo

Daniel Yakimo, D.O.

Northville

Mohammed Zahoor, M.D.

Farmington

Nicole Zaremba, M.D.

Dewitt

A study by Physicians Committee doctors provided further evidence debunking heart failure

experiments on animals: “Insights gleaned from decades of animal-based research efforts have

not been proportional to research success in terms of deciphering human heart failure and

developing effective therapeutics for human patients,” wrote Charukeshi Chandrasekera, Ph.D.,

and John Pippin, M.D., in the American Journal of Translational Research.

“I urge you to end these senseless experiments as soon as possible.”

— Lily Tomlin, a Wayne State alumna, in her letter to Wayne State president M. Roy Wilson, M.D.


Musicians Moby and Tony Kanal and actor Kristin Bauer wear Physicians Committee’s #EndDogExperiments T-shirts.

EndDogExperiments.org

Plant-based diets lower

the risk of heart disease in obese

children.

Eating at least 2.5

cups of fruits and vegetables per day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular

disease.

Birth

Toddlers

Elementary School

Teenagers

Babies bornto overweight

mothers havethickened

aortas.

7 in 10packaged toddler

meals have excess sodium.

Only 2 in 10kids eat 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

23% of 2- to5-year-olds areoverweight or

obese.

Pizza is the second leading

source of calories in teens’ diets.

Signs of atherosclerosis and hypertension can appear at age 5.

6 in 10 childreneat too much saturated fat.

9 in 10 kidseat excess

sodium.

1 in 5 teens has high

cholesterol.

By ages 17-21,half a million Americansare eligible for statins.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

1 in 3 kidsis overweight

or obese.

Roadto HeartDisease

the risk of heart disease in obese

High-potassium diets help teens

lower blood pressure.

The causes and effects of heart disease are already well understood. This 2015 Physicians Committee infographic traces the development of heart disease in early life.


www.enddogexperiments.org

www.pcrm.org


Their experiments take attention away from the real causes of illness…


“With the exception of genetic factors and smoking, diet and exercise are the biggest

determinants of risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension and cancer. Yet, people still

turn to medication and surgery as the first choice for treatment. I

support PCRM because it has been a leader in reversing this trend

by making vegan diets mainstream and educating people about

the health risks associated with eating animal products.”

—Gary K. Michelson, M.D., president of the Michelson Medical Research Foundation


Killer Cholesterol

When the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee announced in February 2015 that “cholesterol

is not a nutrient of concern for overconsumption,” the Physicians Committee said, “no so fast,”

and began working to keep cholesterol warnings in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Decades of science have conclusively linked dietary cholesterol to cardiovascular disease, which

kills nearly 2,200 Americans daily.

In March, Physicians Committee president Neal Barnard, M.D., presented oral testimony at the

National Institutes of Health, stating that “for all its good work, the Committee made a scientific

error on cholesterol and to carry this glaring mistake into the Guidelines is not scientifically

defensible.”

Following the nearly year-long campaign including petitions, oral testimony, billboards, and

threat of legal action by the Physicians Committee, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

released in early January 2016 retained—and strengthened—recommendations for Americans

to limit cholesterol consumption—a major rebuff for the purveyors of high-cholesterol food

products. A Physicians Committee lawsuit is still demanding an investigation into food industry

financial pressures that nearly toppled cholesterol warnings.CholesterolKills.org

#CholesterolKills billboards urged the House Agriculture Committee to keep the Dietary Guidelines free of industry influence.

“The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which advocates a vegan diet, announced that they were filing a lawsuit against the government over its decision to drop the 300-milligram cholesterol limit from the guidelines. The group said that members of the dietary guidelines advisory committee had close ties to the egg industry and that they had relied too heavily on industry-funded studies.”

—New Dietary Guidelines Urge Less Sugar for All and Less Protein for Boys and Men, Jan. 7, 2016.

www.cholesterolkills.org


The Western Diet

China and India—countries with traditional plant-based diets—have been inundated with

burgers, pizza, and fried chicken. The result: obesity, heart disease, and diabetes epidemics.

In 2015, Physicians Committee experts toured both countries to promote plant-based disease

prevention.

Zeeshan Ali, Ph.D.

Building a Healthy India booklet, tour poster, and Ingredient Substitution Chart in Hindi

Chengdu #37 Middle School

Kickstart China program specialist Jia Xu,

Ph.D., visited 28 cities in China, where he

spoke to nearly 9,000 people and handed

out Vegetarian Starter Kits in Mandarin at

hospitals, hotels, yoga studios, festivals,

corporations, restaurants, and schools.

Zeeshan Ali, Ph.D., Kickstart India

program specialist, went to India

where he gave presentations in Bhopal,

Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad,

and Bangalore. At his presentations, he

distributed literature in Hindi on health

concerns about dairy products, diet

and diabetes, and the protein myth.

PCRM.org/India and PCRM.org/China

Mandarin Vegetarian Starter Kit

www.pcrm.org/India

www.pcrm.org/China


Hazardous Hospital Foods

Five hospitals featured in the Physicians Committee’s 2015 report “Hazardous Hospital Foods:

How Fast Food Jeopardizes Public Health” ended contracts with McDonald’s. Another will

terminate its contract this spring.

The Cleveland Clinic, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Texas, and

Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Fla., all ended contracts with the fast-food chain.

Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minn., will end its lease this May.

PCRM.org/Hospital

“Seeing this in a children’s hospital—that’s the most vulnerable population. Fast food is not going to help children get better.”

—Physicians Committee dietitian Cameron Wells, M.P.H., R.D., in “Do Your State’s Hospitals Serve Big Macs?” April 6, 2015

www.pcrm.org/Hospital


The Physicians Committee is moving research away from animal “models” to a new focus on human biology, nutrition, and health…14 2015 ANNUAL REPORT PHYSICIANS COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE MEDICINE


Transforming Nutrition Research

Many common health problems have their roots in diets based on meat and dairy products.

There is an urgent need to shift diets away from animal products and toward plant-based

choices. Research studies are a powerful tool. In 2015, the Physicians Committee began working

on a series of research studies that will be promoted to the press and to policymakers, leading to

the transformation of national nutrition policies and a major shift in the public’s eating habits in

favor of plant-based diets.



Publishing Plant-Based Studies

Physicians Committee clinical research

published in leading medical journals in

2015 showed the wide-ranging health

benefits of a plant-based diet.

A meta-analysis published in the

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition

and Dietetics found that a vegetarian

diet causes weight loss—even in the

absence of exercise or calorie counting.

Research published in the American

Journal of Health Promotion found that

a low-fat, vegan dietary intervention in

the workplace improves productivity

and alleviates symptoms of anxiety

and depression. A low-fat vegan diet

may also reduce pain associated with

diabetic neuropathy, according to a

study published in Nutrition & Diabetes.

Ellen DeGeneres thought the weight-loss study was so important she shared it with her 50

million Twitter followers.

That same week, she celebrated her birthday by encouraging her fans to support the Physicians

Committee. A few days later, Drew Brees appeared on Ellen’s program with a $50,000 gift from

the Brees Dream Foundation to the Physicians Committee

Ellen DeGeneres Drew Brees


Accelerating Alcohol and Antibodies Research

Alcohol

Physicians Committee experts continued to promote human-based alcohol disorder research

last year.

“Rather than continuing to funnel limited research funding into animal-related studies with

limited translational capacity,

NIAAA (National Institute on

Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

and other funding bodies

should invest in research aimed

at discovering methods for

educating women about the

effects of fetal alcohol exposure,

developing new diagnostic and

treatment paradigms, enhancing

family support networks,

and developing methods for

widespread implementation

of these measures,” wrote a

Physicians Committee expert in

a commentary published in the

Journal Alcohol and Alcoholism.

The American Public Health

Association passed a resolution

urging the National Institute on

Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to

allocate more funding for human-

based studies.

Antibodies

Antibody production is a massive

industry, since antibodies serve as

fundamental tools in biomedical research. The vast majority of research antibodies are produced

by live animals using procedures that are extremely painful and ultimately lethal. Physicians

Committee scientists are working to prove that antibodies made without harming animals are

as good as or better than those made in animals. Our goal is to demonstrate the viability of fully

in vitro antibodies, promote their acceptance by researchers, and force a change in the funding

requirements of the National Institutes of Health.

Charukeshi Chandrasekera,

Ph.D., Physicians Committee director of laboratory

science



Our work is changing medical practice.

“It’s not just about medication. What we are really talking about it trying to change the way that people eat.”

—Kim Williams, M.D., president of the American College of Cardiology

Physicians Committee president Neal D. Barnard, M.D., and Kim Williams, M.D., at the International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine: Cardiovascular Disease



Our work is changing medical practice.

Healing Hearts

Nearly 500 health care professionals learned how to help their patients prevent and reverse

heart disease with a plant-based diet at the Physicians Committee’s International Conference

on Nutrition in Medicine: Cardiovascular Disease on July 31 and Aug. 1. The conference, which

was accredited by the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences,

featured an international panel of 21 cardiovascular disease researchers including Kim Williams,

M.D., president of the American College of Cardiology, who began

following a vegan diet in 2003 to improve his own heart health.

Each attendee received new Dietary Guidelines for Atherosclerosis

Treatment and Prevention, developed by the Physicians

Committee, giving them a tool to help their patients combat the

early signs and advanced stages of cardiovascular disease, the

leading cause of death worldwide.

PCRM.org/Conference

Baxter Montgomery, M.D., and Theresa Stone, M.D., at Physicians Committee Leadership Summit

www.pcrm.org/Conference


We are working on Capitol Hill.



Championing New Chemical Testing Methods

Since 2005, the Physicians Committee has worked with the federal government and industry to

include reforms that would reduce animal testing in the 40-year-old Toxic Substances Control

Act of 1976. In 2015, the Senate passed the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st

Century Act, a bill introduced by Sen. Tom

Udall (D-N.M.). The bill contains language

requiring chemical companies and the

Environmental Protection Agency to replace

and reduce animal tests and increase the use

of human-relevant methods.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), a Lautenberg Act co-sponsor, and Dr. Barnard

Sen. Udall addresses attendees about the importance of the Lautenberg Act’s passage

Physicians Committee member Janell Lundgren, M.D., Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Physicians Committee president Neal Barnard, M.D., and regulatory testing policy specialist Aryenish Birdie


“If there is one thing that is certain in science, it’s that hot dogs are bad for you.”

—Physicians Committee president Neal Barnard, M.D., in “On the Hill, Annual Hot Dog Day Faces Another Challenger,” July 22, 2015

From Congress to schools to ballparks, the Physicians Committee continued to warn the country

about cancer-causing hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats.

In April, a

billboard warned

fans of the

IronPigs—an

Allentown, Pa.,

minor league

baseball team

with processed-meat mascots including Chris P. Bacon—about bacon’s risks. The viral campaign

was covered by more than two dozen news outlets, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, MSN,

and Sports Illustrated.

Purging Processed Meats


To counter the North American Meat

Institute’s annual July hot dog

lunch for members of Congress,

the Physicians Committee

hosted the Congressional

Veggie Burger Smackdown.

Members of Congress,

staffers, and the media voted

for their favorite veggie burger

inspired by four vegetarian members of

Congress: Arizona Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, Florida

Rep. Ted Deutch, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and New

Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. The New Jersey Burger, topped

with a Slow-Cooked Tomato Chutney, prevailed with 36

percent of the vote.

When a World Health Organization report declared in October that processed meats are

“carcinogenic to humans,” the Physicians Committee filed a legal petition urging the U.S.

Department of Agriculture to stop distributing carcinogenic hot dogs and other processed

meats to children through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

Rep. Ted Deutch votes for the Florida-inspired veggie burger.

“As you enjoy these veggie burgers, think about how much better this meal is going to be for you as compared to the kinds of things that are too much a part of the American diet in large part because of decisions, unfortunately, made [in Congress].”

—Florida Rep. Ted Deutch at the Congressional Veggie Burger Smackdown

DropTheDog.org

Neal Barnard, M.D., Ellen Kassoff Gray, Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, chef Todd Gray, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and Rep. Steve CohenA packed room enjoys all four burgers, but has to pick a favorite.

www.dropthedog.org


We are giving millions of people …



… new tools

Schooling Scientists

Physicians Committee scientists strengthened relationships with industry and government

scientists from across the globe in 2015, furthering acceptance of nonanimal chemical test

methods.

Representatives from the Dow Chemical Company and the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency were among the 60 experts who participated in a workshop at the National Institutes

of Health co-organized by the Physicians Committee to discuss in vitro alternatives to LD50

tests—which expose animals to chemicals through the skin, by mouth, or by inhalation. Species

differences often make results irrelevant to humans.

The Physicians Committee has already persuaded the UK to lead an ongoing project at the

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which sets chemical testing

guidelines worldwide, to remove the LD50 skin test.

TailOfToxics.org

www.TailOfToxics.org


Simulator demonstration for Congress: Laerdal’s SimMan Strategic Operation’s Cut Suit

“Speaking for myself and for all medical students who have expressed to me the same unsettling feelings, I would urge Johns Hopkins leadership to close the book on its live animal lab.”

—Richard Bruno, M.D., M.P.H., who works at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

Modernizing Medical Education

On Jan. 1, 2015, the U.S. Department of Defense transitioned from live animal use to simulators

in several medical training programs, a decision the Physicians Committee spent years

championing.

Building on that success, a Physicians Committee simulator demonstration for members of

Congress supported passage of the Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training (BEST)

Practices Act, which would eliminate the U.S. military’s use of all animals, including more than

8,500 goats and pigs, to teach military medics.

Dr. Bruno, second from right


The Physicians Committee also successfully

persuaded the University of Mississippi School of

Medicine, Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, the

University of Texas Medical Branch, Rush Medical

College, and the University of Utah to stop using

animals in 2015.

This year, the Physicians Committee will continue

to work with Dr. Bruno and other physicians

who want to end the use of animals in medical

training programs, including the last two U.S.

medical schools—Johns Hopkins University and

the University of Tennessee Health Science Center

College of Medicine in Chattanooga.

Gaumard’s Hal S3201


… new hope Alleviating Alzheimer’s Disease

A commentary in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease by Physicians Committee scientists called

for research efforts to shift from animal experiments to human-based methods, such as human

cells, computational models, and clinical studies.

“Animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have been extensively utilized for decades…

However, research success has not effectively translated into therapeutic success for human

patients,” wrote Francesca

Pistollato, Ph.D. “Our analysis

indicates that a paradigm shift

toward human-based, rather

than animal-based research is

required in the face of the ever-

increasing prevalence of AD in

the 21st century.”

Plant-based diets also play

a crucial role in fighting

Alzheimer’s. In a public service

announcement, actor Alec

Baldwin, a longtime Physicians

Committee supporter, told

viewers, “Vegetables, fruits,

whole grains, and beans can help

keep your

brain strong

and memory

sharp. Let’s

eat right

to fight

Alzheimer’s.”

PCRM.org/Alzheimers

Alec Baldwin

28 2015 ANNUAL REPORT PHYS

www.pcrm.org/Alzheimers


Fighting Diabetes

The Physicians Committee’s director of diabetes education and care Caroline Trapp, D.N.P.,

A.N.P.-BC, C.D.E., F.A.A.N.P., continued to work with the Navajo Nation to help its citizens fight

diabetes with a plant-based diet.

At the Navajo Nation Research Conference, Dr. Trapp joined nutritionists who presented the

Diné (Navajo) Power Plate, based on the Physicians Committee’s Power Plate, and featuring

images of fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans common in the Navajo Nation.

The Navajo Nation’s leaders also proclaimed: “Now, therefore, be it resolved, the month of

November 2015 is hereby proclaimed as Navajo Nation Diabetes Awareness and Prevention

Month…to encourage all citizens of the Navajo Nation to commit to…eating more plant-based

meals such as vegetables and fruits...”

Dr. Trapp is now expanding her work to promote better health in Native American communities.

Educators from the Navajo Nation, seven pueblos in New Mexico, and the Gallup Indian Medical

Center have also participated in an introductory workshop and a series of six conference calls to

gain a basic understanding of the science of plant-based nutrition for diabetes prevention.

ThePowerPlate.org

… new lives2015 ANNUAL REPORT 29CHANGING MEDICINE. SAVING LIVES.

Physicians Committee’s Caroline Trapp (second from right) at the Navajo Nation Research Conference

www.ThePowerPlate.org


Students at Walker Jones Education Campus participated in a plant-based lunch pilot program.

“A handful of American food and agriculture companies are receiving hundreds of millions of dollars by selling processed meats that are ending up in school lunchrooms and contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic.”

—The Guardian covers the Physicians Committee’s school lunch report in “Watchdog Group Calls for Less Processed Meats in School Cafeterias,” Aug. 31, 2015

Powered-Up Pasta with Chickpeas


… new futures Improving School Lunches

Physicians Committee nutrition experts partnered with D.C. Central Kitchen for a plant-

based lunch pilot program with more than 400 students at Walker Jones Education Campus in

Washington, D.C. With the school’s support, they tracked how students responded to having

vegan options added to the cafeteria’s daily menu.

The offerings—including Powered-Up Pasta, Veg-

Out Chili, Southwest Energy Burgers, and Barbecue

Tofu Bites—were a hit with students. For many

students, this was the first time they tried foods rich

in vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, and

heart-healthy plant protein.

D.C. Central Kitchen (DCCK) at Walker Jones also

won the grand prize in the Physicians Committee’s

2015 Golden Carrot Award for improving school

lunches. The other winners were the Village School

in Eugene, Ore., Atlanta Public Schools, Odyssey

Charter Schools in Orlando, Fla., and the Santa

Barbara Unified School District in California.

GoldenCarrotAward.org

Golden Carrot Awards2015

www.goldencarrotaward.org


Board of Directors

Neal D. Barnard, M.D., President

Russell Bunai, M.D., Treasurer and Secretary

Mindy Kursban, Esq., Chairperson

Mark Sklar, M.D., Director

Barbara Wasserman, M.D., Director

Scientific Advisory Board

Ron R. Allison, M.D., 21st Century Oncology

Ted Barnett, M.D., Rochester Lifestyle Medicine, PLLC; Borg & Ide Imaging, P.C.

T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., Cornell University

Neil Cooper, M.D., M.H.A., M.Sc., Kaiser Permanente

Brenda Davis, R.D.

Garth Davis, M.D., The Davis Clinic

Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., M.D., The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute

Joanne Evans, A.P.R.N., Healthy Nurses…Healthy Communities, LLC

Joel Fuhrman, M.D., Nutritional Research Foundation

Roberta Gray, M.D., Pediatric Nephrology Consultant

Daran Haber, M.D., Riverview Medical Center

Henry Heimlich, M.D., The Heimlich Institute

David J.A. Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto

Lawrence H. Kushi, Sc.D., Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente

John McDougall, M.D., Dr. McDougall’s Health & Medical Center

Jeffrey I. Mechanick, M.D., Mount Sinai Hospital

Baxter Montgomery, M.D., Montgomery Heart and Wellness

Carl Myers, M.D., Switch Healthcare

Ana Negrón, M.D.

Robert Ostfeld, M.D., M.Sc., F.A.C.C., Montefiore Medical Center

Affiliations are listed for identification only.

Leadership


Contributions and Donations ........................$ 8,565,383

Legacies and Bequests ...................................$ 3,120,314

Grants ..............................................................$ 389,380

Other Revenue ................................................$ 593,673

Total Support and Revenue ...........................$ 12,668,750

Program ServicesResearch Advocacy .................. $ 3,325,881 Clinical Research ...................... $ 144,420 Nutrition Education ................. $ 1,874,666 Legal Advocacy ........................ $ 229,355Publications .............................. $ 641,798 Education and Policy ................ $ 560,658 Communications ...................... $ 963,624

Total Program Services ..................................$ 7,740,402

Operations ......................................................$ 1,012,165

Membership Development/Fundraising ......$ 1,925,097

Total Expenses ................................................$ 10,677,664

Support and Revenue

Expenses

Net Assets, End of Year: $ 15,976,835

Program Services 72.49%Research Advocacy, Clinical Research, Nutrition

Education, Legal Advocacy, Publications, Education and Policy, Communications

Operations 9.48%

Membership Development/Fundraising

18.03%

Contributions and Donations 67.61%

Legacies and Bequests 24.63%

Grants 3.07%

Other Revenue 4.69%Investment Income, Merchandise Sales,

Services, Rental and Other Income

2015 Consolidated Fiscal Year Report

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visit PhysiciansCommittee.org/Donate

or call us at 202-527-7304.

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Documents

2015 Physicians Committee Annual Report