Founded in 1982, Collegium Ramazzini is an independent, international academy with 180 invited members from more than 30 countries. Its members are internationally renowned experts in the fields of occupational and environmental health, including Dr. Joseph Graziano, Dr. David Eastmond Dr. David Ozonoff, Dr. T.K. Joshi, Dr. Mohamed Jeebhay, and Dr. Giuliano Franco.
It was named after sixteenth-century Italian physician Bernardino Ramazzini and was founded by Irving Selikoff, Cesare Maltoni and other eminent scientists in 1982. The mission of the Collegium Ramazzini is to advance the study of occupational and environmental health issues. Through its members and activities, it seeks to bridge scientific discovery and the socio-political centers that will need to act on these discoveries and advances in the area of health and safety.
Seminars and honoraria
One main purpose of the Collegium is to host conferences, symposia and seminars that introduce scientific, medical and governmental bodies to various issues and research in the area of health and safety. The Ramazzini Days 2011 seminar was held in Carpi, Italy.
In 2012, the "Environment and health in political agenda" symposium will be held in Montevideo, Uruguay from March 22–24. The conference will be jointly organized by the Collegium Ramazzini and the Universidad Republica Oriental de Uruguay. The seminar will be dedicated to Dr. Jenny Pronczuk De Garbino (1947-2010), Fellow of the Collegium Ramazzini and expert in childhood diseases.
In addition to meetings and publications, the Collegium makes a number of merit awards.
Ramazzini Award
The Ramazzini Award, instituted in 1984, is awarded annually to scientists deemed by the Collegium to have made outstanding contributions to furthering the aims of Bernardino Ramazzini in safeguarding public health.
Prize winners to date have been:
2016: Arthur L. Frank (USA) for his distinguished record of occupational health and safety research as well as his advocacy and service in the promotion of better occupational safety and health in developing countries and in the international fight to ban the use of asbestos.
2015: Philippe Grandjean (Denmark) for his long career conducting and promoting environmental health research, especially his groundbreaking work on the effects of methylmercury
2014: Benedetto Terracini for his outstanding contributions as a pioneer of modern occupational epidemiology in Italy and throughout the world. His work has been constantly dedicated to improve workers' health through his research and advocacy on asbestos and other occupational and environmental exposures.
2013: John R. Froines (USA), for his outstanding career in occupational and environmental health research and advocacy, especially his pioneering work to develop the federal occupational lead and cotton dust exposure standards in the United States and his work in California that led to the recognition of diesel exhaust as a significant toxic air contaminant, preserving the health and the lives of millions.
2012: Sheldon W. Samuels (USA), for his leadership to improve occupational safety and health conditions for all workers and to promote a better moral and scientific basis for occupational and environmental health.
2011: Morris Greenberg (UK), for his seminal contribution to occupational medicine in the United Kingdom and his career-long dedication to the health, safety and well-being of workers.
2010: Marja Sorsa (Finland), for her scientific leadership in promoting the ethical aspects of occupational and environmental health research and practices.
2009: Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol of Thailand, for her vision, but also leadership and action in implementing the ideals of Bernardino Ramazzini in her home country and throughout the Asia Pacific region.
2008: Massimo Crespi (Italy), for his scientific and institutional contribution to the prevention, screening and early detection of cancer; and Bernard Goldstein (USA), for his contributions to understanding the health effects of toxins such as benzene and his promotion of science as a means to improve environmental and occupational health policy.
2007: Fiorella Belpoggi (Italy), for her advancement of the use of long-term bioassays to determine cancer risk from agents present in the industrial and general environment.
2006: Anders Englund (Sweden), for his important contributions to the health of workers in the construction industry worldwide; and Hans-Joachim Woitowitz (Germany), for his important contributions to the prevention of occupational diseases.
2005: Lorenzo Tomatis (Italy), for his outstanding contribution to the prevention of cancer, in particular the identification of industrial agents.
2004: Herbert L. Needleman (USA), for his outstanding scientific work, which has greatly contributed to the defense of the health of children and of the public at large.
2003: Olav Axelson (Sweden), for his outstanding scientific work, which has greatly contributed to the defense of the health of workers and of the public at large.
2002: Myron A. Mehlman (USA), for his dedicated and courageous service as a toxicologist, author and editor who has improved the lives of working men and women around the world.
2000: Eula Bingham (USA), for her life-long commitment and contributions to occupational health in the USA and worldwide.
1998: Joseph Ladou (USA), for his important work in new areas of industrial medicine; and Jorma Rantanen (Finland), for his exceptional contributions to occupational disease and its prevention.
1997: Samuel Milham (USA), for his outstanding contribution to the epidemiology of occupational disease, with particular reference to carcinogenic risk from electromagnetic fields.
1996: John C. Bailar III (USA), for his important contributions to the knowledge of epidemiological trends and to the prevention of cancer.
1995: Cesare Maltoni (Italy), for his studies on the identification of the carcinogenicity of many industrial agents; and J. Carl Barrett (USA), for his achievement in understanding the molecular determinants of cancer.
1994: David G. Hoel (USA), for his contribution to scientific knowledge on the oncogenic effects of nuclear radiation.
1993: Yasunosuke Suzuki (USA), for his contribution to the scientific knowledge on the pathology of mesotheliomas among asbestos-exposed workers.
1992: Luigi Giarelli (Italy), for his unique work on pathology-based epidemiology with regard to occupational cancer.
1991: Alice M. Stewart (UK), for her classic studies on carcinogenesis from ionizing radiation in humans, with particular regard to low dose exposure; and Friedrich Pott (Germany), for his contributions to the knowledge of carcinogenesis from natural and man-made fibers.
1990: Lars Ehrenberg (Sweden), for his basic studies on molecular genotoxicology, with particular regard to mutagenesis and carcinogenesis.
1989: David P. Rall (USA), for bringing advances in the knowledge of the relationship between the environment and human health; and Takeshi Hirayama (Japan), for his contributions to the knowledge of the role of lifestyle in the genesis of cancer.
1988: Johannes Clemmesen (Denmark), for his pioneering work on the epidemiology of cancer; and Thomas F. Mancuso (USA), for his research on occupational carcinogenic risks.
1987: Dietrich F.K. Schmahl (Germany), for his brilliant, dedicated work that has contributed so much to scientific knowledge concerning environmental and occupational disease - and to its use for the prevention of human suffering.
1986: Arthur C. Upton (USA), for his basic contributions to the knowledge of radiation carcinogenesis.
1985: Alberto Bisetti (Italy), for his contribution to clinical pulmonary diseases, particularly those which affect workers; and Norton Nelson (USA), for clarifying the association of environmental agents with human disease.
1984: Muzaffer Aksoy (Turkey) and Enrico C. Vigliani (Italy), for their contribution on the toxic and leukemogenic effects of benzene.
Irving J. Selikoff Award and Lecture
Since 1993 the Collegium Ramazzini has awarded the Irving J. Selikoff Award and Lecture honoraria. The award is given periodically to an internationally recognized scientist or humanist whose studies and achievements have contributed to the protection of workers' health and the environment.
Prize winners to date have been:
2016 - Dr. Richard Lemen
2009 - Dr. Stephen M. Levin
2008 - Dr. Philip J. Landrigan
2007 - Dr. Morando Soffritti
2006 - Professor Yasunosuke Suzuki
1995 - Professor Cesare Maltoni
The Collegium Ramazzani has functioned as an initial publication source for many scientific papers later re-published in additional peer reviewed journals.
The Collegium Ramazzani has also published editorials through its Presidents and collectively in peer-reviewed scientific journals including calls for an international ban on asbestos in 1999, 2005, 2010 and 2012.
