Poul Thorsen, a Danish researcher, collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on several studies examining potential links between vaccines and autism. Notably, he co-authored:
- A 2002 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that investigated the relationship between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism.
- A 2003 study in Pediatrics that examined the association between thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative used in vaccines, and autism.
These studies are among those the CDC references when discussing vaccine safety and the lack of a causal link between vaccines and autism.
In 2011, Thorsen was indicted on 22 counts of wire fraud and money laundering related to the alleged embezzlement of over $1 million in CDC grant funds designated for research on autism and other developmental disorders.
Thorsen has his own special place on the Department of Justice's website.
