Comments on: The University of Teesside’s Case for naming Patrick Holford as a Visiting Professor: a critical analysis

By: dvnutrix

dvnutrix — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 04:13:50 +0000

Belatedly, Anon. Quack is an very loaded term and not to be associated with anybody we discuss on this blog: I feel that my mother and any lawyers would want me to say that. I feel that it would be a grand day if Professor Holford were ever to issue a statement to rival the elegant simplicity of Pollan's:

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Distressed but not too surprised to learn about lack of appropriate references.

By: mike stanton

mike stanton — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 23:29:14 +0000

And when is Teeside going to appoint a professor of the emporor’s new clothes in their school of fashion and textile technology?

By: jonhw

jonhw — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 23:36:53 +0000

thanks for the comments. Yep, giving out visiting professorships to high profile figures is one thing, but when the ‘professor’ has had as negative an impact as Holford, this is a new nadir. What next – Prof Matthias Rath?

By: Dr Aust

Dr Aust — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 22:29:15 +0000

It seems obvious to me that this is a “money talks” proposition. Teeside Poly make Patrick an Honorary Prof, which costs them nothing. They then take pole position for being “academic figleaf”, sorry , academic partner, for ventures like mass fish oil trials. Kerr-chingg.

Most Universities are usually quite happy to dole out Honorary Professorships in the sciences willy-nilly to senior industrial scientists, entrepreneurs – Sir Christopher Evans, well-known ex-friend of New Labour, had collected FIVE last time I counted – and eminent medical doctors. It costs little, buys goodwill, and attracts handy publicity. However, giving one to a man with no scientific credentials and a well-established record of pushing Snake Oil is truly a new nadir. Hopefully the negative publicity will lose Teeside credibility as a serious scientific institution. But these days they probably won’t care.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:31:44 +0000

Patrick Holford is a quack!! I have heard him speak countless times where he has referred to evidence backing up his claims. He has been asked on more than one ocaassion to supply the references for his claims which has continually failed to produce. He is a danger to science and the health of all!!! BEWARE

By: Patrick Holford -a professor?

Patrick Holford -a professor? — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 17:12:00 +0000

[...] The case for Holford mentions the possibility of starting a northern Brain Bio centre. If you want to know more about that wheeze, check Holfordwatch. And now Holfordwatch has done a nice analysis of the whole document [...]