Tyrone Hayes, professor of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley, is known for his research findings regarding the effects of the herbicide atrazine, an endocrine disruptor, on the demasculinization of frogs. Syngenta, the Swiss manufacturer of atrazine, launched a campaign to discredit both him and his research, which resulted in the settlement of a multi million-dollar class-action lawsuit against Syngenta. Hayes has presented hundreds of papers, talks, and seminars worldwide on his conclusions that environmental chemical contaminants have played a role in global amphibian declines and contribute to minority and low income population health disparities.
The Crown Lecture in Ethics is made possible by a gift to Duke University from Lester Crown and family and focuses on ethical issues in science, medicine, public policy, business, art, and other fields.