Simon Thornley Explained

Simon Thornley
Birth Name:Simon James Thornley
Fields:Epidemiology, Biostatistics
Workplaces:University of Auckland
Alma Mater:University of Auckland
Thesis1 Title:Studies of cardiovascular disease risk estimation : how, and whether, to account for the effect of drug treatment?
Thesis1 Url:https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/handle/2292/23534
Thesis1 Year:2014
Doctoral Advisor:Roger Marshall
Rod Jackson

Simon James Thornley is a New Zealand medical doctor and academic specialising in epidemiology and biostatistics, and as of 2021 is a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland.[1]

Career

Thornley trained as a medical doctor prior to joining the University of Auckland as a public health academic specialising in epidemiology and biostatistics.[1] He graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Human Biology in 1997, a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in May 2000, and Master of Public Health with First Class Honours in 2006 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Medicine in 2015.[2] His 2014 doctoral thesis was Studies of cardiovascular disease risk estimation: how, and whether, to account for the effect of drug treatment?[3]

Thornley is a part of 'FIZZ', a group of New Zealand health researchers aiming to eliminate sugary drinks from New Zealand by 2025.[4] He has researched the links between scabies and other health issues in relation to health inequities.[5] [6] [7]

Covid Plan B group

Thornley is a member of the Covid Plan B group,[8] which has repeatedly criticised the New Zealand government's management of the COVID pandemic, and "Thornley [has] become the most notable critic of the Government’s Covid-19 elimination strategy".[9] Thornley said that elimination of COVID-19 was "unrealistic and over-ambitions" but epidemiologist Rod Jackson claimed that Thornley [was] "the only dissenter in the epidemiological community."[10] Early in the pandemic, Thornley was quoted as saying "Hanging out for a vaccine is not an option... a fantasy, in my view."[11] The Covid Plan B group was widely criticised,[12] [13] but they responded by saying that their freedom of expression was being shut down[14] and that there was 'censorship of alternate views.'[15]

In March 2021, the anti-misinformation group Fight Against Conspiracy Theories issued an open letter to the Covid Plan B group including Thornley criticising their partnership with the anti-vaccination group Voices for Freedom (VFF).[16] Thornley served as a keynote speaker at a VFF event in March 2021 and appeared on the group's webshow. Covid Plan B's Facebook page also shared social media posts by Voices for Freedom.[17]

Siouxsie Wiles, a fellow University of Auckland academic, wrote that "Simon Thornley of the Plan B group, about whom I’ve written before, has given evidence in support of the group trying to halt the roll-out [of the COVID vaccine]" in an article on COVID-related misinformation.[18] Thornley responded through a lawyer claiming the article was a "defamatory publication" and demanding his name be removed and a correction.[19]

A 2021 paper which Thornley co-authored which linked mRNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, to significantly higher rates of miscarriage was publicly criticised by the academic community throughout New Zealand, including the Head and other senior members of the university’s School of Population Health, for ignoring evidence that had already been published in a high-impact peer-reviewed research journal, and for a less-than-rigorous analysis of the data provided by the Center for Disease Control in the USA.[20] The paper, which was published in a small journal edited by an American anti-vaccination advocate, was retracted in November 2021, with Thornley saying that he and his co-author had made a major mathematical error.[21]

Also in November 2021, Thornley participated in a livestream with former Northland Member of Parliament Matt King, where they discussed alternative (and widely debunked) treatments for COVID-19, as well as downplaying the severity of the disease.[22] Judith Collins, leader of the New Zealand National Party, distanced the party from these comments, saying that the party believed in the effectiveness of vaccines.[23]

Thornley received the 2021 Bent Spoon Award from the NZ Skeptics society, for showing "the most egregious gullibility or lack of critical thinking in public coverage of, or commentary on, a science-related issue".[24]

Selected works

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dr Simon Thornley – The University of Auckland. unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz.
  2. Web site: Graduation search results – The University of Auckland. 22 July 2021. www.auckland.ac.nz.
  3. Thornley . Simon . 2014 . Doctoral thesis . Studies of cardiovascular disease risk estimation: how, and whether, to account for the effect of drug treatment? . ResearchSpace@Auckland, University of Auckland . 2292/23534 .
  4. Web site: Welcome to FIZZ | FIZZ. www.fizz.org.nz.
  5. Web site: Why we need to pay more attention to scabies in New Zealand children – The University of Auckland. www.auckland.ac.nz.
  6. How strong is the relationship between scabies and acute rheumatic fever? An analysis of neighbourhood factors. Simon. Thornley. Ron. King. Roger. Marshall. Amanda. Oakley. Gerhard. Sundborn. Jay. Harrower. Edwin. Reynolds. Mark. Arbuckle. Richard J.. Johnson. 23 July 2020. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. 56. 4. 600–606. Wiley Online Library. 10.1111/jpc.14697. 31774599. 208318336.
  7. Web site: Scabies needs to be taken more seriously, says health researcher. 15 September 2019. RNZ.
  8. Web site: Covid Plan B. Covid Plan B.
  9. Web site: The scientist and the rabbit hole: How epidemiologist Simon Thornley became an outcast of his profession. 20 May 2021. Stuff.
  10. News: Witton. Bridie. 5 August 2020. Coronavirus: Is elimination still the best strategy. stuff. 14 January 2022.
  11. News: Coronavirus: COVID-19 vaccine a 'fantasy' – controversial epidemiologist Simon Thornley. Newshub.
  12. News: Coronavirus: Scientist hits back after being quoted 'out of context' by anti-lockdown group. Newshub.
  13. Web site: Why NZ shouldn't go the Sweden way. 18 August 2020. Newsroom.
  14. Web site: Covid-19 contrarians claim they're being censored. 21 April 2020. RNZ.
  15. News: Coronavirus: Health experts feel censored over alternative lockdown plan. Newshub.
  16. Web site: Open Letter to Covid Plan B . 20 March 2023.
  17. News: Meier . Cecile . Anti-lockdown group of academics criticised for promoting conspiracy theorists . 20 March 2023 . stuff . 17 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211115094721/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/124552930/antilockdown-group-of-academics-criticised-for-promoting-conspiracy-theorists. 15 November 2021. live.
  18. Web site: Siouxsie Wiles: There's a lot of vaccine BS around. Here's why I won't be debunking it. 15 May 2021 . The Spinoff.
  19. Web site: Simon Thornley of 'Plan B' sends legal threat to Siouxsie Wiles and The Spinoff . 22 July 2021 . The Spinoff.
  20. Web site: 13 November 2021. Covid-19: A paper on vaccination in pregnancy co-authored by Simon Thornley has been panned by experts around the world. 13 November 2021. Stuff. en.
  21. Web site: Collins. Benedict. Reporter. 1News Political. Simon Thornley retracts bogus vaccination miscarriage claim. 17 November 2021. 1 News.
  22. Web site: 16 November 2021. National distances itself from ex-MP after video with Thornley. 16 November 2021. RNZ. en-nz.
  23. Web site: 16 November 2021. National distances itself from ex-MP after video with Thornley. 16 November 2021. RNZ. en-nz.
  24. Web site: 20 November 2021. NZ Skeptics Announce their 2021 awards, and Dr Simon Thornley wins the Bent Spoon. 22 November 2021. NZ Skeptics. en-NZ.

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