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Biographical Sketch

Books and Book Chapters

Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Curriculum Vitae

Personal Data

• Address: P.O. Box 1747, Allentown, PA 18105.
• Email: sbinfo@quackwatch.com
• Telephone: (610) 437-1795.
• Born: New York City, 1933
• Married, three children, three grandchildren
• Wife, Judith Nevyas Barrett, M.D., is a family practitioner.

Education and Training

• A.B., Columbia University, 6/54
• M.D., Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, 6/57
• Completed rotating internship, Highland Park General Hospital (Michigan) 6/58
• Completed 3-year psychiatric residency at Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, 6/61
• Correspondence course in American Law and Procedure, LaSalle University Extension Division, Chicago (1 1/2 years completed), 12/66-12/68

Professional Experience

• Chief, Psychiatric Service, Scott Air Force Base Hospital, Illinois, 8/61-7/63
• Psychiatrist, San Francisco Juvenile Court, 7/63-8/67
• Psychiatrist, San Francisco Child Psychiatry Clinic, 7/63-1/66
• Private practice of psychiatry, 8/63-12/93
• Consultant, San Francisco Department of Welfare, 8/64-7/65
• Consultant, school nurses, San Francisco Public Health Department, 8/65-12/65
• Consultant, Parks Job Corps Camp, 12/65-1/66
• Psychiatrist, Center For Special Problems, 2/66-8/67
• Consultant, San Francisco Adult Probation Department, 8/66-8/67
• Staff Psychiatrist, Allentown State Hospital, 9/67-7/77
• Consultant, Pa. Board of Probation and Parole (research project), 11/67-2/69
• Consultant, Lehigh Valley Mental Health Association, 12/67-2/69
• Consultant, Lutheran Children's Home, 2/68-6/72
• Psychiatrist, Allentown Hospital Psychiatric Clinic, 4/68-6/90
• Consultant, Pastoral Institute of the Lehigh Valley, 11/68-1/71
• Consultant, Allentown Counseling Center for Alcoholism, 6/69-6/72
• Consultant, Lehigh University Centennial School, 1/70-3/77
• Psychiatrist, Muhlenberg Medical Center Psychiatric Clinic, 6/71-6/86
• Medical Director, Haven House (partial hospitalization program), 8/76-6/87
• Consultant, Allentown Police Department (evaluation of police candidates), 8/80-3/85
• Medical Director, NewVitae Partial Hospitalization Program, 8/90-3/91

Memberships and Appointments (Medical)

• Chairman, Quackery Committee, Lehigh County Medical Society, 10/69-12/80
• Chairman, Board of Directors, Quackwatch, Inc. (originally called Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud, Inc.), 6/70-
• Member, Board of Trustees, Lehigh Valley Opportunity Center (half-way house for paroled offenders), 7/70-5/72
• Member, Committee on Health Fraud, Pennsylvania Health Council, 7/72-12/74
• Member, Committee on Quackery, Pennsylvania Medical Society, 12/73-12/79
• Member, Board of Advisors, California Council Against Health Fraud, Inc, 12/77-8/84
• Member, Board of Scientific Advisors, American Council on Science and Health, 4/78-
• Consultant on Unproven Health Practices, Pennsylvania Medical Society Council on Education and Science, 12/79-12/84
• Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP)
  • Scientific consultant, 7/80-
  • Co-chairman, CSICOP Health Claims Subcommittee, 7/80-
  • Member, CSICOP Council for Media Integrity, 7/96-
• Member, Advisory Board, Children's Health Care Is A Legal Duty (CHILD), 2/83-
• National Council Against Health Fraud, Inc. (NCAHF),
  • Member, Board of Directors, 9/84-
  • Chairman, Task Force on Victim Redress, 10/87-
  • Vice President, 9/00-
  • Director of Internet Operations, 9/00-
• Treasurer, Nutrition Council of Pennsylvania, 1/85-6/87
• Member, Steering Committee, Citizens for Children's Dental Health (Allentown), 2/98-6/00
• Member, NIH Special Emphasis Panel (to evaluate alternative medicine research proposals), 4/98
• Member, ad hoc advisory group, NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, 10/98-
• Member, Advisory Board, National Center for Fluoridation Policy and Research, 10/98-
• Member, Advisory Board, Association for Science in Autism Treatment, 11/99-
• Member, Council for Scientific Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry, 6/00-5/03
• Fellow, Council for Scientific Medicine and Mental Health, 5/03-

Memberships and Appointments (Journalistic)

• Medical Consultant, WFMZ-TV, Allentown, 5/79-6/89
• Member, Medical Advisory Board, National Health (a consumer newspaper), 9/79-1/80
• Medical Editor, George F. Stickley Co., Philadelphia, 8/80-12/88
• Consumer Health Editor, Nautilus Magazine, 7/81-6/84
• Consulting Editor, ACSH News and Views, 10/81-6/88
• Health Editor, Our Age (newspaper of the National Alliance of Senior Citizens), 5/82-6/83
• Contributing Editor, Environmental Nutrition Newsletter, 9/82-3/84
• Editorial Advisor, Shape Magazine, 9/82-4/94
• Science and Health Editor, Inside Radio, 10/82-8/83
• Editor, Nutrition Forum Newsletter, 1/84-12/93
• Editorial Consultant, Nutrition Forum, 1/94-9/00
• Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Rx Being Well, 5/84-10/87
• Consumer Affairs Editor, Healthline Newsletter, 3/85-9/00
• Editorial Consultant, Prevention Magazine, 3/86-1/93
• Editorial Advisory Board, Healthy Weight Journal, 6/87-
• Member, Society of Professional Journalists, 6/87-3/89
• Member, National Association of Science Writers, 11/87-12/97
• Member, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc, 2/89-12/98
• Medical Editor, Prometheus Books, 2/91-
• Editorial Advisory Board, The Diet Busine$$ Bulletin, 5/92-7/94
• Contributing Editor, The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine, 6/97-
• Member, Editorial Board, Science & Pseudoscience Review in Mental Health, 2/00-

Memberships and Appointments (Internet-Related)

• Member, Internet Healthcare Coalition, 10/97-12/99
• Member, Editorial Board, Medical Web Search, 6/98-
• Member, Editorial Board, MedScape/MedGenMed, 5/99-
• Member, Editorial Board, MD net guide, 8/99-3/02
• Participant member, Fraud Defense Network, 11/99-11/01
• Member, Editorial Board, Family Medicine net guide, 2/00-5/02
• Member CBS HealthWatch Physicians Network, 3/00-12/02
• Weekly columnist ("Alternative Medicine: A Skeptical Look"), Canoe 4/00-5/02
• Consumer Empowerment Advisor, PlanetFeedback, 4/00-
• Advisory Board, Pyramid Scheme Alert, 10/00-
• Editor, Consumer Health Digest, 11/00-

Memberships and Appointments (Academic)

• Instructor in Health Education, The Pennsylvania State University, 5/87-6/89

Journal Peer-Review (Panelist or Occasional Manuscript Reviewer)

• Annals of Internal Medicine
• Journal of the American Medical Association
• Medscape General Medicine
• The New England Journal of Medicine
• Nutrition Research
• Topics in Clinical Nutrition
• The Western Journal of Medicine

Honors and Awards (Academic, Professional, and Public Service)

• Pulitzer Scholar, Columbia University, 1950-54
• Freshman Chemistry Prize, Columbia College, 1951
• Lehigh Valley Dental Society's Dr. Francis J. Trembley Outstanding Citizen Award for "decisive contributions dedicated to the betterment of oral medicine," 1975
• Mediquiz Contest National Award (Resident Physician magazine), 1960
• FDA Commissioner's Special Citation for "outstanding and consistent contributions against the proliferation of nutrition quackery to the American consumer," 1984
• Honorary Lifetime Membership Award, Lehigh Valley Dietetic Association, 1986-
• Honorary Member Award, American Dietetic Association, 1986-
• Fellow, Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), 1992-
• Listed in Marquis Who'sWho in the East, 1993-
• Annals of Internal Medicine: Editors' commendation ("top 10%") for quality and timeliness of reviews in 1999.
• Listed in Marquis Who'sWho in America, 2001-
• Listed in Marquis Who'sWho in Science and Engineering, 2001-
• Distinguished Service to Health Education Award "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the health and well-being of mankind through health education." American Association for Health Education, 2001
• Listed in Marquis Who's Who in the World , 2002-
• Listed in Marquis Who's Who in Medicine and Health Care, 2002-

Honors and Awards (Quackwatch)

• Journal of the American Medical Association: One of nine "select sites that provide reliable health information and resources," 1998
• U.S. News & World Reports: Best of the Web (one of three medical sites), 1999
• Oncolink Editor's Choice, 1999
• Britannica Internet Guide Award, 2000
• Forbes "Best of the Web, 2000, 2001
• "Nettie" Award for best Web site operated by an individual physician in 2002. MD net guide, 2003.
• Other Honors and Awards

Other Achievements

• Eagle Scout, January 1950
• American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor, 1952
• Life Master, American Contract Bridge League, 1959
• Captain, United States Air Force: Active duty, 1961-1963