Michael Shannon | Pediatric toxicologist, 55
Michael Shannon, 55, an internationally known specialist in the study and treatment of the effects of poisons in children, has died.
Michael Shannon, 55, an internationally known specialist in the study and treatment of the effects of poisons in children, has died.
The Harvard Medical School professor collapsed after getting off a plane Tuesday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York following a vacation in Argentina, family friend Nancy Teumer said.
The exact cause of death had yet to be determined, Teumer said. He had no known health issues.
Dr. Shannon was one of the premier pediatric toxicologists in the world and an expert on the effects of environmental hazards in children, including cold medicines, other drugs, and lead paint.
He helped write a recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2003 that homes, schools, and child-care centers near nuclear power plants keep pills on hand to prevent thyroid cancer in the event of a radiation release.
In 2005, Dr. Shannon served as a key witness for the state in Rhode Island's lawsuit against former lead-paint companies. The jury found three companies responsible for creating a public nuisance, but the verdict was overturned by the state Supreme Court.
- AP