The dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who consulted with top Trump health officials ahead of Monday’s warning about Tylenol and autism, was paid at least $150,000 to serve as an expert witness on behalf of plaintiffs in lawsuits against the maker of Tylenol.
Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, a leading epidemiologist, disclosed the figure in a court deposition he gave in the summer of 2023 that is publicly available in federal court filings and was reviewed by The New York Times. He had previously disclosed that he had served as an expert witness in the case but not how much money he had made.
A federal judge dismissed the suits for lack of reliable scientific evidence. The plaintiffs are appealing the decision.
President Trump and federal health officials claimed in a news conference on Monday that there was an established link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism. Trump administration officials have leaned heavily on Dr. Baccarelli’s research in pushing the idea, citing him in the news conference, posting on social media and championing him in a television interview as a highly credentialed expert backing the evidence for an autism-acetaminophen link.
Scientists have researched a potential link for years, but the studies so far have yielded inconclusive results, with some finding increased risk among pregnant women who took acetaminophen and some finding no connection between the drug and autism.
Dr. Baccarelli was the senior author on a recent scientific review that he conducted with collaborators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and other universities. The study was cited during Monday’s White House press conference.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The post Harvard Dean Was Paid $150,000 as an Expert Witness in Tylenol Lawsuits appeared first on New York Times.
