Jeffrey Brent

Jeffrey A. Brent
Born 1946 (age 67)[1]
Fields Medical toxicology
Institutions University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Alma mater Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Thesis The toxicity of 5-bromo 2'-deoxyuridine to malignant lymphoid cells (1978)

Jeffrey A. Brent, MD, PhD, FAACT, FACEP is a medical toxicologist, one of only about 250 in the United States,[2] who is affiliated with the school of medicine at the University of Colorado Denver, where he is among the clinical faculty.[3] In addition, he is a professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Colorado School of Public Health.[4] He is also the past president of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, and as of 2010 was editor in chief of the journal Toxicological Reviews, as well as a member of the board of directors of the American College of Medical Toxicology.[5] Most of Brent's research focuses on the use of fomepizole as a treatment for both methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning, and he led a trial of this drug which resulted in the FDA approving it for the treatment of ethylene glycol poisoning in December 1997.[6] Brent is also coauthor of "Critical Care Toxicology: Diagnosis and Management of the Critically Poisoned Patient," published in 2004. He was one of the government's experts in the autism omnibus trial, in which he testified in support of the scientific consensus that thimerosal-containing vaccines do not cause autism, and specifically criticized a study by Holmes et al.[7] which the plaintiffs had cited to argue that TCVs were dangerous to a specific subpopulation who were not as good at excreting mercury in hair. He also argued that chelation therapy is of no use as a treatment for autism, and that the symptoms of autism are very different from those of ethylmercury poisoning. He runs a private practice in Denver at Toxicology Associates.

Education

In 1970, Brent graduated from Hunter College with a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry, as well as a masters' degree in molecular biology. He completed his PhD in biochemistry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and earned his MD from State University of New York at Buffalo's school of medicine. He also completed a fellowship at Denver Health Medical Center, a residency at Emory University and an internship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.[1]

Career

He was initially appointed to the UCHSC in 1987 as an instructor, and then was promoted to assistant professor, then associate, and finally full professor. He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications. He was the chair of the toxicology section of the American College of Emergency Physicians from 1991 to 1993. Through Toxicology Associates, Brent has published many scientific studies, primarily in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Brent is still affiliated with the University of Colorado School of Public Health, through which he is still publishing scientific studies as of July 2013.

Testimony

In the so-called autism omnibus trial, Brent testified on behalf of the government, i.e. that thimerosal does not cause autism. In particular, he criticized the concept of hypersensitivity to thimerosal as a concept that had been invoked as a way to bypass real science. He also testified that, with regard to the levels of mercury in the urine of Jordan King and William Mead, who had been chelated, that "You always expect to see levels in the urine bump post-chelation." He also criticized the plaintiff's use of Doctor's Data Laboratories as relying on urine mercury levels rather than the gold standard, blood mercury levels.[8] Brent has also voiced opposition to the use of chelation therapy as an autism treatment both in the omnibus trial, where he testified that "there was absolutely no reason to chelate them [the children who served as the test cases] for any mercury-related reason," and in peer-reviewed journals.[9][10]

Selected publications

References

  1. 1 2 "Jeffrey A. Brent". HealthGrades. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  2. ↑ "American College of Medical Toxicology Newsletter". American College of Medical Toxicology. Spring 2009. Archived from the original (newsletter) on 7 June 2010. He [Brent] is one of about 250 board-certified medical toxicologists in the United States, and he has experience in treating children with actual mercury toxicity.
  3. ↑ "Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology". University of Colorado. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  4. ↑ "Environmental and Occupational Health". Colorado School of Public Health. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  5. ↑ "Jeffrey Brent, MD, PhD". University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. 27 May 2010 (archived). Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2013. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ↑ Leary, Warren E. (23 March 1999). "Antidote for Pretty Poison Is Found, but at Big Price". New York Times. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  7. ↑ Holmes, A. S.; Blaxill, M. F.; Haley, B. E. (2003). "Reduced levels of mercury in first baby haircuts of autistic children". International journal of toxicology 22 (4): 277–285. doi:10.1080/10915810305120. PMID 12933322.
  8. ↑ "Green Our Vaccines Eve – Dr Jeffrey Brent". LeftBrainRightBrain. 3 June 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  9. ↑ Brent, J. (2013). "Commentary on the Abuse of Metal Chelation Therapy in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders". Journal of Medical Toxicology 9 (4): 370–2. doi:10.1007/s13181-013-0345-4. PMC 3846967. PMID 24113859.
  10. ↑ Tsouderos, Trine (22 November 2009). "Risky alternative therapies for autism have little basis in science". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 6 November 2013.

External links

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