THE TUFTS DAILY Est
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Where You Partly Cloudy Read It First 76/57 THE TUFTS DAILY Est. 1980 VOLUME LXVI, NUMBER 18 TUEsday, octoBER 1, 2013 TUFTSDAILY.COM University admits Filming on the Hill Golden Rice ethics violation BY SARAH ZHENG Daily Editorial Board University officials have admitted that Tufts-affiliated researchers violated sci- entific ethics laws after feeding geneti- cally modified rice to children in China without proper consent in a study about “Golden Rice.” A recent university announcement con- firmed accusations from Greenpeace that researchers in the study had tested the rice on children without disclosing the true nature of the experiment, accord- ing to Tufts Deputy Director of Public Relations Jennifer Kritz. The team was led by Guangwen Tang, an associate profes- sor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Golden Rice, which contains beta car- otene, was developed as a solution for Vitamin A deficiency in children, Kritz told the Daily in an email. Such deprivation causes blindness in approximately 250,000 children annually, and about half of those children die within a year as a result of the sight loss. During the 2008 study, researchers gave 72 primary school children in China’s Hunan province rations of the modified rice, according to a Sept. 18 article in ScienceInsider. All children were between the ages of six and eight years old. On Sept. 17 of this year, Tufts issued an email statement to media outlets standing by the findings of the study, but conceding an ethical violation. “While the study data were validated and no health or safety concerns were identified, the research itself was found not to have been conducted in full com- pliance with [institutional review board (IRB)] policy or federal regulations,” the university said in the statement. According to the announcement, Tang will be bared from conducting research on human subjects for two years, during which time she will be retrained on human subject research regulations and policies. As a result, Tang has decided to close her lab next year, ScienceInsider reported. “The general [Chinese] public show great shock and [anger] on this unbelievable misconduct of golden rice trial,” Jiangli Yu, senior campaigner at Greenpeace East KYRA STURGILL / THE TUFTS DAILY Asia, told the Daily in an email. “Especially Students stood by for a closer look as Columbia Pictures completed shooting on the Academic Quad yesterday afternoon. The movie, for those parents of children who were set for release in 2014, stars Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz. involved in the trial, they feel hurt since they were not told the details which they were supposed to know.” On the other hand, the Chinese govern- see RICE, page 2 Cummings School dean receives diversity leadership award Flu clinics on campus BY JO S H WEINER at LGVMA’s annual meeting held at LGBT community. Daily Editorial Board the Hyatt McCormick Place in Chicago. “It is a pillar for those whose true selves Tufts Health Service will offer free Other community members received are suppressed to see that there are people influenza vaccinations during three clin- Dean of the Cummings School of the Achievement and Presidential who are on their side,” she said. “It is a role ics this fall. Clinics will be held today Veterinary Medicine Deborah Kochevar Service awards. model for those who are freer to simply from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., on Wednesday was awarded the Lesbian and Gay President of the LGVMA Sandy exist and for our straight allies to join in from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Thursday Veterinary Medical Association (LGVMA)’s Hazanow (V ’92) elaborated on the crite- the work of LGBT inclusion.” from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Leadership Award on July 21 for her efforts ria for selecting the honorees, noting that Kochevar was the first veterinary dean The flu clinics will be held at the to promote diversity and inclusion in the LGVMA gives awards to those who exceed in the nation to become a member of Health Service Conference Room at 124 veterinary field. their standard roles in the organization. LGVMA and has since assisted the orga- Professors Row. They are open to all stu- Kochevar was one of two award recipi- “The LGVMA leadership award is nization in supporting student activity dents on the Medford/Somerville campus ents, along with James W. Lloyd, dean of the awarded to our colleagues who ... [con- and sponsoring stipends for veterinary who have paid the health fee. University of Florida College of Veterinary tribute] a substantial amount of time, students, among other projects. Students are advised to wear a short- Medicine. The LGVMA Leadership Award energy and expertise towards the purpose She spoke positively of her experi- sleeved shirt and to have their IDs present. is presented to individuals or organiza- of promoting the value of LGBT people in ence working alongside the members tions that display leadership and activism our profession,” she said. of LGVMA. —by Abigail Feldman within the veterinary community. Hazanow hopes the award will serve as Kochevar and Lloyd were honored a source of inspiration for members of the see LGVMA, page 2 Inside this issue Today’s sections ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ Jack Johnson experi- News 1 Editorial | Op-Ed 8 is an immersive visual ments with old and experience. new sounds in most Features 3 Op-Ed 9 recent album. Arts & Living 5Classifieds 10 Comics 7 Sports Back see ARTS, page 5 see ARTS, page 5 2 THE TUF T S DAILY NEWS Tuesday, October 1, 2013 Award promotes LGBT inclusion in Tufts researcher to be barred from vet community working with human subjects LGVMA ideas and concerns with,” Hazanow said. RICE approved the study and that he had continued from page 1 “She has supported our programs person- continued from page 1 seen no reason to monitor the goings “They have been around for 20 years ally and within her academic community ment’s Ministry of Agriculture, a depart- on between protocol approval and and have done really great work in and has shown commitment to furthering ment responsible for genetically modified data delivery. broadening the views of people in the general diversity and LGBT inclusion in organism bio-safety management, has not “I would not stick my head in the sand veterinary profession and working to veterinary medicine.” given any official response, Yu said. The to ignore any unethical behavior, were I to educate a diverse array of individuals,” Michael McGuill (V ’91), adjunct asso- Chinese academic circle, which includes have observed any,” he added. Kochevar said. ciate professor at the Cummings School, scientists involved in genetic engineering Tufts’ own IRB had investigated the Kochevar joined LGVMA after attending also applauded Kochevar’s efforts in pro- research, does not believe the experiment ethical procedures for scientific fraud a LGVMA co-sponsored lecture by Shane moting the integration of LGBT individu- is a major concern. or data manipulation, according to the Snowdon, the founding director of the als into the veterinary community. The study was published in The media statement. Following additional Center for LGBT Health and Equity at “She’s really been instrumental in guid- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reviews by internal and external panels, the University of California San Francisco. ing the group on inclusion issues,” he said. (AJCN) in August 2012 and concluded however, the Tufts IRB found that Tang The lecture took place at the Association “I think it’s amazing and wonderful that that Golden Rice was a promising source had provided insufficient evidence to of American Veterinary Medical Colleges she and the Tufts community have been of Vitamin A for Chinese children. No show that the study had been approved Iverson-Bell conference in 2011. involved with LGVMA.” punitive action has been taken by the by an ethics review board in China and Hazanow believes Kochevar’s award was Kochevar plans to continuing working journal thus far. that the consent forms for the study had well deserved given her contributions to with LGVMA in the future. “The [AJCN] and the Society that owns been tampered with. the organization over the past two years. “I was very honored,” Kochevar said. “I the [AJCN] have not made a final deci- Because of this, Tufts’ IRB has revised “Dean Kochevar has been a resource certainly intend to remain supportive of sion on action(s) that will be taken on the its policies and procedures to ensure for us in the LGVMA leadership to discuss and active with LGVMA.” information recently made available to that in the future, research conducted us,” Editor-in-Chief of AJCN Dennis Bier outside of the United States is reviewed told the Daily in an email. more carefully, according to the email to According to a Dec. 10 article in the media. the science journal Nature, the Tufts Kritz said that Tufts, despite the viola- researchers conducted the study with the tion, stands by the results of the study. Chinese Center for Disease Control and “These multiple reviews found no con- Prevention’s Nutrition and Food Safety cerns related to the integrity of the study Institute (CDC). After Greenpeace first data, the accuracy of the research results questioned the study in August 2012, the or the safety of the research subjects,” CDC began a three-month investigation the media statement read. “In fact, the of the experiment, which resulted in the study indicated that a single serving of organization firing two members of its the test product, Golden Rice, could pro- own staff, including principal investiga- vide greater than 50 percent of the rec- tor Shi’an Yin.