Timothy Caulfield Explained

Timothy Caulfield
Birth Place:Cape Cod, Massachusetts, U.S.
Workplaces:University of Alberta
Education:Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws
Alma Mater:University of Alberta, Dalhousie University
Thesis Title:The Last Straw: The Impact of Cost Containment in Health Care on Medical Malpractice Law
Thesis1 Url:and
Thesis2 Url:)-->
Thesis Year:1993
Doctoral Advisors:)-->
Spouses:)-->
Partners:)-->
Children:)-->

Timothy Allen Caulfield [1] (born 1963) is a Canadian professor of law at the University of Alberta,[2] the research director of its Health Law Institute,[3] and current Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy.[4] [5] He specializes in legal, policy and ethical issues in medical research and its commercialization. In addition to professional publications, he is the author of several books aimed at the general reader and host of a television documentary series debunking pseudoscientific myths. He is a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.[6] [7]

Early life and education

Caulfield went to high school in Edmonton, Alberta. He attended the University of Alberta, earning a B. Sc. in 1987 and a law degree in 1990. He completed a Masters in Law at Dalhousie University in 1993.[8] During this period he also performed in two punk rock and new age bands, The Citizens and Absolute 9.[9] [10]

Academic career

In 1996, Caulfield became an assistant professor at the University of Alberta. After working several years as an associate professor, he became a full professor in 2004 and is currently teaching biotechnology. In 1993, he became Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta, a position he currently occupies. In 2013, he was named a fellow of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. He is a Health Senior Scholar at the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research and has worked on a variety of advisory committees involved in medical and scientific ethics, including one with the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

Caulfield has published numerous articles in academic journals and popular media on topics related to ethics and the effect of media hype on medical research.[11] [12] He is the editor for the Health Law Journal and Health Law Review. He is a member of the Royal Society of Canada, and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He is a member of the Task Force on Ethics Reform at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.[13]

Represented by his publisher Penguin Random House, Caulfield works with a speakers bureau called Speakers' Spotlight on a variety of topics including COVID-19, misinformation and anxiety. Some of his recent clients for speaking engagements include the Canadian Health Libraries Association, Canadian Nuclear Association, Canadian Nurses Association, Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists, Dietitians of Canada, Hamilton Health Sciences, Own the Podium and the Seven Oaks General Hospital Foundation.[14]

COVID-19

Caulfield has referred to the amount of misinformation surrounding the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic as an "infodemic". He has received funding from the federal government's Rapid Research Funding Opportunity to investigate how misinformation about COVID-19 spreads and to look for ways to stop it. He noted that this is the first time a global pandemic has spread in the time of social media, which allows for information to be shared quickly and often inaccurately. Some of the supposed cures of COVID-19 that Caulfield has debunked are drinking bleach, drinking silver, snorting cocaine, homeopathy, drinking cow urine, garlic soup and hydroxychloroquine.[15]

On April 8, 2020, Caulfield was appointed to the Royal Society of Canada Task Force to help support Canada's response to and recovery from COVID-19. The task force mandate is to give informed responses to the many challenges that may come to Canada as a result of the virus and will work with academies from around the world to identify societal challenges.[16]

Caulfield is a spokesperson for ScienceUpFirst, a science communication initiative aiming at reducing the impact of COVID misinformation online.[17]

In 2020 Tim Caulfield collaborated with his brother Sean Caulfield, also a University of Alberta professor, to use artistic images to share pro-science information in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.[18]

Health advice by celebrities

Caulfield developed an interest in the health advice given by celebrities and the significant impact that it has on public health, especially when it is based on pseudoscience. He uses social media platforms, interviews, his books and his television series to counter some health claims made by celebrities such as actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow and alternative medicine advocate Deepak Chopra.[10] [19] [20] [21]

His 2015 book Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything? focuses on the negative impact celebrity endorsement have on public health. Caulfield argues that the public should be wary of accepting health advice from entertainers and artists.[22] [23] [24] [25] The book won the 2015 Science in Society General Book Award from the Canadian Science Writer's Association.[26]

"Scienceploitation" and stem cell tourism

Caulfield has advocated for medical professionals to not exaggerate potential benefits of new unproven treatments in fields that have only long-term potential. Stem cell treatments in particular is sometimes fraudulently hyped as a very expensive miracle cure for anything from autism, Lou Gehrig’s disease and spinal cord injury, to cerebral palsy, a practice Caulfield calls "scienceploitation".[27] [28]

In addition to plain dishonesty, Caulfield argues that the media looking for human-interest stories often portray unsound treatments as effective and give hope to patients. Researchers face pressure to present their research as being more advanced than it actually is and to respond to commercialization imperatives.[29] [30] [31]

Caulfield points out that these practices have been used all the way back to the discovery of magnetism, and tend to appear whenever new scientific discoveries attract the interest of the public: "Now you see stem cell, genetic, and increasingly, microbiome research being exploited to sell a host of ridiculous products. My favorite example, however, has to be the use of “quantum physics.” Many alternative medicine practitioners seem to think that if they slap the word “quantum” on a product it sounds more science-y and more legitimate."

Books and collections

Caulfield edited several reference works on research ethics. In the last decade, he also wrote books taking aim at pseudoscience. In his 2012 The Cure for Everything,[32] [33] he tried to clarify the science behind sensationalized media reports about the effects of diet and fitness on health.[9] [34] Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything? in 2015 [35] tackles celebrity endorsement of dubious treatments and their effect on public health, while The Vaccination Picture in 2017 examines myths propagated against vaccines.[36] His 2020 book Relax Dammit!: A User's Guide to the Age of Anxiety looks at how misinformation and science affect daily decisions.[37]

He is also editor or coeditor of the following publications:

Television series

Caulfield is the host and main protagonist of the documentary series, A User's Guide to Cheating Death, presented in 60 countries,[46] including Canadian specialty channel Vision TV. The first six-episode season presents Caulfield subjecting himself to various treatments of doubtful efficacy. The episodes include conversations with people believing the treatments work for them and discussions with panels of experts.[47] [48] [49] The series was renewed for a second season,[50] and became available on Netflix in North America during the Fall of 2018.[51] [52] His show was reviewed by Jonathan Jarry, saying, "Tim Caulfield is an excellent host for a show that shines a disinfecting light on medical pseudoscience. Unlike many skeptics in the public eye, he does not come across as antagonistic or condescending."[53]

Episode[54] Original airing date
Season 1
"Detox Debunked: The Truth Behind the Phenomenon" September 18, 2017
"The Fountain of Youth: Science of Cosmetics" September 25, 2017
"Full Potential: Genetic Testing and the Rise of Personalized Medicine" October 2, 2017
"Losing It: Extreme Dieting" October 9, 2017
"Au Natural: Turning Our Back to Modern Medicine" October 16, 2017
"Scienceploitation" October 23, 2017
Season 2
"I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" October 15, 2018
"Vitamins and Supplements" October 22, 2018
"Sex and Relationships" October 29, 2018
"Germs" November 5, 2018
"Body Hacking" November 12, 2018
"Spiritual Science" November 19, 2018

Awards

Personal life

Caulfield enjoys track cycling and running.[9] He is married and has four children.[62] [63]

He suffers from motion sickness, which is one of the reasons he abandoned a fledgling career as a rock musician.[62] He is "a bit of a germophobe. I hate sharing food. I'm not good with handshakes or hugs."[64]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Order of Canada appointees – December 2022 . The Governor General of Canada . 29 December 2022 . 29 December 2022 .
  2. News: Pelley. Lauren. Timothy Caulfield debunks celebrity health trends, from gluten-free diets to colon cleanses. Toronto Star. 8 January 2015.
  3. Web site: Timothy Caulfield: Alberta's 50 Most Influential People 2014 - Alberta Venture. Alberta Venture. 26 June 2016. 1 July 2014.
  4. News: Walden. Celia. Is Gwyneth Paltrow wrong about everything?. 16 June 2016. Telegraph. 9 May 2015.
  5. News: There's a word for that feeling you get when you're phone's not nearby. 16 June 2016. CBC. 3 December 2015.
  6. Web site: 23 November 2020. Ten new Fellows elected to Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201124021333/https://centerforinquiry.org/news/10-new-fellows-elected-to-committee-for-skeptical-inquiry/. 24 November 2020. 23 November 2020. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.
  7. Web site: Timothy Caulfield . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221025152538/https://www.trudeaufoundation.ca/member/timothy-caulfield . 2022-10-25 . 2022-10-25 . Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.
  8. Web site: Timothy Caulfield. Ualberta. https://web.archive.org/web/20171124135305/http://www.hli.ualberta.ca/en/People/TimothyCaulfield.aspx. November 24, 2017. November 24, 2017.
  9. News: Mouallem . Omar . Style Q&A: Rock Star/Scientist . 23 February 2023 . Edify . 1 January 2014.
  10. News: Timothy Caulfield debunks celebrity health trends, from gluten-free diets to colon cleanses. Pelley. Lauren. January 8, 2015. Toronto Star. November 15, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171116025650/https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2015/01/08/timothy_caulfield_debunks_celebrity_health_trends_from_glutenfree_diets_to_colon_cleanses.html. November 16, 2017.
  11. http://rrj.ca/healthy-skeptic/ "Healthy Skeptic André Picard eschews the hype, pandering and pseudo-science that plague his beat"
  12. Book: Tamara L. Roleff. Cloning. registration. 26 September 2005. Greenhaven Press. 978-0-7377-3311-2. 135.
  13. Web site: Task Force on Ethics Reform: Membership. November 15, 2017. Canadian Institutes of Health Research. https://web.archive.org/web/20171115203557/http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/dist/ajax/sitemenu-en.html. November 15, 2017. November 15, 2017.
  14. Web site: Timothy Caulfield . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221025073508/https://www.ualberta.ca/law/faculty-and-research/health-law-institute/people/timothycaulfield.html . 2022-10-25 . 2022-10-25 . UAlberta Law.
  15. Web site: This is misinformation on steroids': The Canadian who took on Gwyneth Paltrow is debunking coronavirus myths. Mosleh. Omar. April 6, 2020. The Star. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200411200343/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/04/06/the-canadian-who-took-on-gwyneth-paltrow-is-debunking-coronavirus-cures.html. April 11, 2020.
  16. Web site: Communiqué Covid-19. April 8, 2020. The Royal Society of Canada (RSC). live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200421221618/https://rsc-src.ca/en/news/communiqu%C3%A9-covid-19. April 21, 2020. April 21, 2020.
  17. Web site: Who are ScienceUpFirst. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210127014846/https://www.scienceupfirst.com/en/who. 27 January 2021. 26 January 2021. ScienceUpFirst.
  18. News: Cummings. Madeleine. 16 July 2020. Caulfield brothers fight COVID-19 misinformation with art and science. CBC.
  19. News: McFarling. Usha. Tim Caulfield on a mission to debunk celebrity health advice. 16 June 2016. STAT. 20 April 2016.
  20. News: 'Embodiment of pseudoscience': Deepak Chopra bad choice for Edmonton autism conference says expert. October 29, 2017. November 15, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171115160025/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/embodiment-of-pseudoscience-deepak-chopra-bad-choice-for-edmonton-autism-conference-says-expert-1.3827677. November 15, 2017.
  21. News: Deepak Chopra, Timothy Caulfield end Twitter feud. January 26, 2017. CBC News. November 14, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171114220802/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/deepak-chopra-timothy-caulfield-twitter-1.3953538. November 14, 2017.
  22. News: Is Gwyneth Paltrow wrong about everything?. Walden. Celia. May 9, 2015. The Telegraph. November 26, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171126175648/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11591936/Is-Gwyneth-Paltrow-wrong-about-everything.html. November 26, 2017.
  23. News: Sorry, Gwyneth Paltrow. Science will always beat goopy junk. Caulfield. Timothy. July 14, 2017. The Globe and Mail. November 26, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171126175832/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/sorry-gwyneth-paltrow-science-will-always-beat-goopy-junk/article35696259/. November 26, 2017.
  24. News: Payne. Elizabeth. Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything? A Q&A with the author. 16 June 2016. Ottawa Citizen. 16 January 2015.
  25. https://crackedscience.com/2015/02/16/book-review-is-gwyneth-paltrow-wrong-about-everything-by-timothy-caulfield/ "Book Review: Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything? by Timothy Caulfield"
  26. http://sciencewriters.ca/3976778 "CSWA Book Award Winners! "
  27. Web site: What is stem cell tourism? Narrated by Professor Timothy Caulfield. ccrm.ca. https://web.archive.org/web/20171121203728/https://www.ccrm.ca/file/2468. November 21, 2017. November 21, 2017.
  28. News: Beware the hype on stem-cell breakthroughs. Caulfield. Timothy. March 20, 2017. The Globe and Mail. November 21, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171121203930/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/beware-the-hype-on-stem-cell-breakthroughs/article34348535/. November 21, 2017.
  29. News: Blinded by Science. Caulfield. Timothy. September 12, 2011. The Walrus. November 21, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171121165913/https://thewalrus.ca/blinded-by-science/. November 21, 2017.
  30. Web site: Commercialization creep. Caulfield. Timothy. December 1, 2012. Policy Options. https://web.archive.org/web/20171121204919/http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/talking-science/caulfield/. November 21, 2017. November 21, 2017.
  31. News: The blunt truth about 'cutting edge' medical research. March 26, 2017. CBC radio. March 26, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171121211838/http://www.cbc.ca/radio/the180/fentanyl-sentencing-nuclear-disarmament-and-the-nhl-needs-to-get-its-historical-facts-straight-1.4037858/the-blunt-truth-about-cutting-edge-medical-research-1.4037942. November 21, 2017.
  32. Book: Caulfield. Timothy. The cure for everything! : untangling the twisted messages about health, fitness, and happiness. 2012. Viking Canada. Toronto. 978-06700-65233. registration.
  33. News: Ahearn. Victoria. Edmonton author Timothy Caulfield challenges Gwyneth Paltrow's 'Goop'. 16 June 2016. Global News. 6 March 2015.
  34. http://news.nationalpost.com/afterword/book-review-the-cure-for-everything-by-timothy-caulfield "Book Review: The Cure For Everything! by Timothy Caulfield"
  35. Book: Caulfield. Timothy. Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash. 2015. Viking. Toronto. 978-06700-67589.
  36. Book: Caulfield, Timothy. The vaccination picture. Viking. 2017. 978-0735234994.
  37. Web site: Relax, Dammit: Timothy Caulfield uses science to tackle anxiety in new book. 2021-06-02. edmontonjournal. en-CA.
  38. Book: Legal Rights and Human Genetic Material. Knoppers. Maria. Caulfield. Timothy. T. Douglas. Kinsella. Emond Montgomery. 1996. 0920722865. Toronto.
  39. Book: The Commercialization of Genetic Research: Ethical, Legal, and Policy Issues. Caulfield. Timothy. Williams-Jones. Bryn. Springer. 1999. 146137135X. Toronto.
  40. Book: Timothy A. Caulfield. Barbara Von Tigerstrom. Health Care Reform & the Law in Canada: Meeting the Challenge. 2002. University of Alberta. 978-0-88864-366-7.
  41. Book: Imagining Science: Art, Science, and Social Change. Caulfield. Sean. Caulfield. Timothy. The University of Alberta Press. 2008. 978-0-88864-508-1. Calgary, Alberta.
  42. Book: Public Health Law & Policy in Canada, 2nd Edition. Ries. Nola. Bailey. Tracey. Caulfield. Timothy. LexisNexis Canada. 2008. 978-0433458173. Markham, Ontario.
  43. Book: Canadian Health Law and Policy (4th ed.). Downie. Jocelyn. Caulfield. Timothy. Flood. Coleen. LexisNexis. 2011. 9780433465249. Markham, Ontario. registration.
  44. Book: Perceptions of Promise: Biotechnology, Society and Art. Caulfield. Sean. Gillespie. Curtis. Caulfield. Timothy. Department of Art and Design, University of Alberta and University of Washington Press. 2011. 978-0969989844.
  45. Book: Public Health Law & Policy in Canada, 3rd Edition. Ries. Nola. Bailey. Tracey. Caulfield. Timothy. LexisNexis Canada. 2013. 9780433470397.
  46. News: U of A professor's TV show debunking alternative therapies will be on Netflix. August 1, 2018. CBC News. August 3, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180803140430/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/tim-caulfield-netflix-users-guide-cheating-death-1.4770530. August 3, 2018.
  47. Web site: Timothy Caulfield hosts new TV series: 'A User's Guide to Cheating Death'. September 11, 2017. CBC.ca. https://web.archive.org/web/20171121214302/http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1044334659515. November 21, 2017. November 21, 2017.
  48. News: Goop-debunker buoyed by renewed attack on Gwyneth Paltrow's wellness brand. Szklarski. Cassandra. September 4, 2017. The Canadian Press. November 21, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171121215016/http://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/goop-debunker-buoyed-by-renewed-attack-on-gwyneth-paltrow-s-wellness-brand-1.3574421. November 21, 2017.
  49. Web site: A User's Guide To Cheating Death. Eye on Canada. https://web.archive.org/web/20171121213824/https://www.eyeoncanada.ca/television/details/a-users-guide-to-cheating-death. November 21, 2017. November 21, 2017.
  50. Web site: "Visiontv Greenlights Season 2 Of "A User's Guide To Cheating Death". March 7, 2018. Peacock Alley TV. https://web.archive.org/web/20180724173130/http://peacockalleytv.com/visiontv-greenlights-season-2-of-a-users-guide-to-cheating-death/. July 24, 2018. July 24, 2018.
  51. News: Paula Simons: A user's guide to Timothy Caulfield, the University of Alberta's very public intellectual. Simons. Paula. September 26, 2018. The Edmonton Journal. September 27, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180927143456/https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/television/paula-simons-a-users-guide-to-timothy-caulfield-the-university-of-albertas-very-public-intellectual. September 27, 2018.
  52. Web site: GOOP, Netflix and Motion Sickness. Gerbic. Susan. Susan Gerbic. July 24, 2018. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. https://web.archive.org/web/20180724165514/https://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/goop_netflix_and_motion_sickness. July 24, 2018. July 24, 2018.
  53. Web site: Review: "A User's Guide to Cheating Death". Jarry. Jonathan. Jonathan Jarry. September 14, 2017. McGill University. https://web.archive.org/web/20180724174023/https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-reviews/review-users-guide-cheating-death. July 24, 2018. July 24, 2018.
  54. Web site: A User's Guide to Cheating Death: Episodes. VisionTV.ca. https://web.archive.org/web/20171121213542/http://www.visiontv.ca/cheating-death/episodes/?_ga=2.6422263.495346612.1511299461-2094975165.1510879164. November 21, 2017. November 21, 2017.
  55. Web site: Dr. Aaron Schimmer Receives the Till and McCulloch Award. Willemse. Lisa. April 11, 2012. Newswire.ca. https://web.archive.org/web/20171117205321/http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/dr-aaron-schimmer-receives-the-till-and-mcculloch-award-510006351.html. November 17, 2017. November 17, 2017.
  56. Web site: CSWA Book Award Winners!. April 21, 2016. Sciencewriters.ca. https://web.archive.org/web/20171115202557/http://sciencewriters.ca/3976778. November 15, 2017. November 15, 2017.
  57. Web site: CAFA distinguished Academic Awards, 2016. September 20, 2016. CAFA-AB.ca. https://web.archive.org/web/20171117205023/http://cafa-ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016CAFADistinguishedAcademicAwardsPress-Release.pdf. November 17, 2017. Nov 17, 2017.
  58. Web site: The Winners. Digitalpublishing awards.ca. https://web.archive.org/web/20171117010248/http://live.digitalpublishingawards.ca/Winners?ref_src=bigDate. November 17, 2017. November 16, 2017.
  59. Web site: The 2020 Sandford Fleming Medal is awarded to Professor Timothy Caulfield, University of Alberta. 25 September 2020. Royal Canadian Institute for Science.
  60. Web site: Metella. Helen. October 16, 2020. Prof. Timothy Caulfield named to international group of scholarly questioners. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201026210302/https://www.ualberta.ca/law/about/news/main-news/2020/october/scholarly-questioners.html. October 26, 2020. October 26, 2020. University of Alberta.
  61. Fidalgo . Paul . March–April 2022 . Timothy Caulfield, Susan Gerbic Awarded Balles Prizes for Critical Thinking . live . Skeptical Inquirer . 46 . 2 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220919142024/https://skepticalinquirer.org/2022/02/timothy-caulfield-susan-gerbic-awarded-balles-prizes-for-critical-thinking/ . 19 September 2022.
  62. Web site: Member Spotlight: Timothy Caulfield, LLM, FRSC, FCAHS. isscr.org. International Society for Stem Cell Research. https://web.archive.org/web/20171122151151/http://www.isscr.org/professional-resources/news-publicationsss/newsletter/member-spotlight/timothy-caulfield-llm-frsc-fcahs. November 22, 2017. November 22, 2017.
  63. Genetic Revolution. A User's Guide to Cheating Death. Caulfield. Timothy. 2018. Season 2, Episode 3.
  64. Germs. A User's Guide to Cheating Death. Caulfield. Timothy. 2018. Season 2, Episode 4.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Timothy Caulfield".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.