Richard Lerner, M.D., is the president of The Scripps Research Institute.

Lerner has been using animals in research for decades. In the 1960s, he conducted experiments using sheep and rabbits to study kidney disease.

In one experiment conducted by a young Richard Lerner, the kidney disease nephritis was created in healthy 3- to 7-month-old lambs. The animal’s kidneys were surgically removed. Some of the sheep were later bled to death.

In 1994, Lerner completed a project that “discovered” a substance in the brains of sleep-deprived cats. In his study, cats were placed on a treadmill for 22 hours, and then fluid was drawn from holes drilled in their skulls.

Richard Lerner has had connections with the tobacco industry for decades, as a researcher, advisor and paid consultant dating back to the early 1970s (long after smoking was conclusively linked to lung cancer). In 1974 he accepted tobacco industry funding for a study of the effects of tobacco smoke. Over 1500 mice were killed during the study.

In 1993, Lerner was hired as a consultant by Philip Morris to review the company’s tobacco-related research. Lerner and another Scripps scientist (Gerald Edelman) toured company labs, including Philip Morris' toxicology lab in Germany, where he observed cruel and pointless smoke inhalation tests on rodents. Following his review, Lerner made recommendations on how Philip Morris could improve “product development” and remain competitive in the marketplace.

In a 2001 e-mail, Charles "Chuck" Wall, Philip Morris Vice President referred to Richard Lerner as “a good friend of the company.”

Over the years, Scripps has received over $2 million in grants from the tobacco industry.

One spot of good news! In 1989, Lerner and a group of scientists in Great Britain developed a new method of creating antibodies without the use of live animals (antibodies are commonly used in diagnosing and treating cancers and other ailments). Producing monoclonal antibodies in animals is a process that results in great suffering. Lerner is to be commended for creating an efficient and economical alternative to the use of animals.

Unfortunately, Richard Lerner continues to defend the use of live animals in research, and has dismissed ARFF's concerns about the welfare of animals in Scripps labs. In November 2005, Lerner responded to an ARFF demonstration by joking that Scripps had decided to start research on “orphans.”

It’s good to be Richard!
Richard Lerner, salary & benefits:
• Compensation: $815,966.
• Benefits: $265,176.
• Expense allowance: $52,051.
*Figures from the year ending Sep. 30, 2004.