Dr Chelsea Polis: ‘The scientific world recognises when you stick your neck out and do the right thing’
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/nov/26/dr-chelsea-polis-valley-electronics-daysy-john-maddox-prize-interview
The US reproductive health expert on being sued for $1m, and winning a top prize for her fight for free speech in the public interest
Dr Chelsea Polis is a reproductive health scientist based in New York City. She was sued for $1m by a medical device company after speaking out about misleading marketing claims it had made about the use of its digital fertility tracker as a contraceptive method. After a two-year battle, the case was thrown out of court. Last month in London she won the 2023 John Maddox prize early career award, which champions those who stand up for evidence-based science in the face of hostility. She is a senior scientist for epidemiology at the Population Council’s Center for Biomedical Research.