By Jerry Heindel
It was great to see the Editorial in Environmental Health Perspectives on the Distinguished Legacy of Linda Birnbaum, written by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) leadership team [1] . They did a good job of highlighting some of the innumerable accomplishments of Dr. Birnbaum during her tenure as Director of NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program (NTP). However, there is much more to the note about Linda’s time at NIEHS and her accomplishments.
I first met Linda in 1987 when I arrived at NIEHS to lead the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology Group (DART) in the Division of Toxicology Research and Testing (DTRT) or Toxicology Research and Testing Program (TRTP). DTRT was the “NTP” division. It housed all the contracts for toxicity testing conducted by the NTP including the Laboratory of Environmental Carcinogenesis and Mutagenesis. It also was home to the Systems Toxicology Branch, headed by Dr. Bern Schwetz. That branch consisted of DART, the Immunotoxicology Group and the Chemical Disposition Group. The novel part of the Systems Toxicology Branch was that scientists in these branches not only were responsible for toxicology contracts including testing for teratology, reproductive effects, immune toxicants, and chemical metabolism and disposition studies (as precursors to carcinogenicity and other toxicity testing), but they also had independent research laboratories. It seemed like the perfect system: test chemicals for toxicity and then bring the positive ones into the lab for mechanistic studies.
So, what does this have to do with Linda Birnbaum? It turns out that Linda was first a part of the Chemical Disposition Group and then headed that group while at the same time conducting her own research. That was 1987- 1989. Linda and I were “research mates” back in the late 80’s. That was a fun and productive time. In 1987 alone, Linda published 13 papers focused on chemical metabolism of a variety of chemicals and with a focus on her research area of dioxins. Then with new leadership at NIEHS TRTP was abolished. I moved to the NIEHS Division of Extramural Research and Training, and Linda moved to the EPA where she remained until she returned to NIEHS as Director of NIEHS and NTP in 2009. Linda’s time as part of the Systems Toxicology Branch seems to have had a lasting effect on her since soon after arriving at NIEHS she reorganized the NTP, bringing back some of the good parts of TRTP and the Systems Toxicology Branch.
As noted in the EHP editorial penned by her senior leadership team at NIEHS, Linda has a long list of important accomplishments as NIEHS and NTP director. But for me personally and as someone who worked at and supported NIEHS for 30 years, her most important accomplishments were her role as spokesperson for NIEHS and for the entire scientific community working in the area of environmental health. For the first time NIEHS had a director trained in environmental health and toxicology. She understood the importance and impact of environmental chemicals including those with endocrine activity (endocrine disruptors). She is a motivational and influential speaker and she loves to spread the word about the important work NIEHS is supporting and the importance of a variety of environmental chemicals and their effects on human and wildlife. She would accept virtually all invitations to speak and therefore has given untold numbers of presentations, likely way more than 1000, across the globe, and I mean across the globe!! All were great advertisements for NIEHS and the science it supports.
I was lucky enough to be at some of the same conferences as Linda and sometimes on the same program. Sometimes that would require me to change my presentation, so it didn’t overlap with Linda’s, as happened at the second Obesity Conference in Uppsala, Sweden. One meeting, the Low Dose, Non-Monotonic Dose Response Meeting in Berlin, Linda could not attend so she made a video to show at the start of the meeting.
Scientists around the world know NIEHS because of Linda and her travels and presentations. But they also learned that NIEHS had a Director that was not just an expert in environmental health sciences but also an outgoing and fascinating friend. Me too, as we visited the sites in many cities and had dinner together across the globe. It has been a great privilege and a highlight of my scientific life to have known and worked with Linda Birnbaum for so many years. I hope to continue working together in the future.
[1] Kwok, R.K., et al., The Distinguished Legacy of Linda S. Birnbaum, an Environmental Health Champion. Environmental Health Perspectives, 2019. 127(10): p. 101001.