Poster Presentation and Talk by Dr. Sarah Vogel

• "Low Dose Politics - the scientific, political and economic history of bisphenol A" (poster not available)

• Vogel, S. A. (2009). The politics of plastics: the making and unmaking of bisphenol a "safety". Am J Public Health, 99 Suppl 3, November, S559-566.
  Abstract - Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical used in the production of plastics since the 1950s and a known endocrine disruptor, is a ubiquitous component of the material environment and human body. New research on very-low-dose exposure to BPA suggests an association with adverse health effects, including breast and prostate cancer, obesity, neurobehavioral problems, and reproductive abnormalities. These findings challenge the long-standing scientific and legal presumption of BPA's safety. The history of how BPA's safety was defined and defended provides critical insight into the questions now facing lawmakers and regulators: is BPA safe, and if not, what steps must be taken to protect the public's health? Answers to both questions involve reforms in chemical policy, with implications beyond BPA. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=19890158

Sarah Vogel joined Johnson Family Foundation in January of 2009. Prior to JFF she was the John C. Haas Fellow at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. She serves as co-chair of the Catalysts Working Group on chemical policy and green chemistry of Health & Environmental Funders Network. She received a Ph.D. from Columbia University and wrote her dissertation on the history of the political and scientific debates about bisphenol A. She also holds graduate degrees in public health and environmental management from Yale University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia. Prior to attending graduate school, she worked for several years at the W. Alton Jones Foundation in Charlottesville, VA.