“Meet the Speakers & Honorees” 7-Week Blog Series
Posted July 21, 2025
We are deeply grateful to these individuals and organizations for generously sharing their time, knowledge, and passion with our community. Their commitment to prevention and advocacy continues to inspire action and strengthen our shared fight to end asbestos-related disease.
Join us in New York City for this landmark event—register now to be part of the movement.
Speaker information for Opening Ceremony and Session I: Selikoff’s Vision and Our Journey Forward
Raja Flores – Opening Ceremony
Raja M. Flores, MD, is the System Chair of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System and ADAO Science Advisory Board Co-Chair Member.
Raja is a recognized leader in the field of thoracic surgery for his pioneering efforts in the treatment of mesothelioma. Dr. Flores’ research interests include numerous past projects relating to the multimodality management of malignant pleural mesothelioma.
He helped pioneer the use of intraoperative chemotherapy for mesothelioma and led a multi-center trial designed to improve patient outcomes. He changed the surgical management of pleural mesothelioma cancer with a landmark study comparing extrapleural pneumonectomy and pleurectomy/decortication.
An expert in his field, Dr. Flores has appeared on many national and local television news reports to discuss mesothelioma. With over 300 related publications to date, his energies and commitment to the plight of mesothelioma patients remain paramount.
Arthur Frank – Dr. Irving Selikoff: What He Knew and What He Fought For
Arthur L. Frank, MD, PhD is a physician board certified in both internal medicine and occupational medicine and currently serves as a clinical Professor of Public Health and Professor and Chair Emeritus of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia. He is also a Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary) at the Drexel College of Medicine. He also holds a position at Drexel as Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering.
A life-long academic, Dr. Frank has previously taught at Mount Sinai, the University of Kentucky and in the University of Texas System. He has served many governmental agencies in the US and has carried out research and has been a governmental advisor internationally. He has been interested in the health hazards of asbestos for more than 50 years.
He has published extensively on the hazards of asbestos, and clinically cared for asbestos-affected patients. He has lectured internationally about the problems of asbestos and worked in many settings looking at the diseases caused by this material. His research interests have been in the areas of occupational cancers and occupational lung diseases, as well as agricultural safety and health.
For thirty-seven years, he held a commission in the U S Public Health Service (active and inactive) and served on active duty both at the NIH and at NIOSH.
Arthur is the ADAO Science Advisory Board Co-Chair.
Philip Landrigan – Opening Ceremony
Philip Landrigan is a pediatrician, occupational physician and epidemiologist. He is a graduate of Boston Latin School,
Boston College, and Harvard Medical School. He trained in Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital, in Epidemiology at CDC, and in Occupational Medicine at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. From 1979-1985, he directed the Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies at NIOSH. From 1985-2018, he was a professor in the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where he chaired the Department of Preventive Medicine and served as Dean for Global Health. Dr. Landrigan co-chaired the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, which found that pollution is responsible for over 9 million deaths per year. He currently leads the Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health, which finds that plastics and petrochemicals are responsible for disease and death at every stage of their life cycle.
Richard Lemen – From 1964 to 2025: A Timeline of Policy, Science, and Advocacy
Richard Lemen, PhD, MSPH is a retired Assistant Surgeon General of the United States and also served as the Acting Director and the Deputy Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health before his retirement.
He has been a practicing epidemiologist for more than forty years and has taught graduate-level courses on environmental and occupational health issues, including asbestos, at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. He has also testified on behalf of asbestos victims.
Dr. Lemen is a world-renowned author, speaker, and lecturer on this topic.
Jacqueline M. Moline – Moderator
Jacqueline M. Moline, M.D., M.Sc. is an Occupational Medicine specialist and Professor of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention and Internal Medicine at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine. She obtained her medical degree from the Pritzker School of Medicine of the University of Chicago. She completed residencies in Internal Medicine at Yale University and Occupational and Environmental Medicine at
After 19 years on the Mount Sinai School of Medicine faculty, she joined Northwell Health as the founding Chairperson of the Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention.
Dr. Moline maintains a clinical practice, focusing on patients with occupational exposures such as asbestos. Since 2001, many of Dr. Moline’s endeavors have been centered on the medical evaluation and treatment of World Trade Center (WTC) responders. While at Mount Sinai, she directed the WTC health program, which she now runs at Northwell Health in Queens, NY.
In 2010, Dr. Moline was the recipient of the Kehoe Award of Merit from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine for significant contributions to research in the field of occupational and environmental medicine, and she has received numerous awards for her service to WTC responders.
Linda Reinstein – Personal Story & Progress and Challenges: Prevention and Policy
Linda Reinstein is a leading public health advocate and serves as the President & CEO of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO). Her journey into advocacy began in 2003 when her husband, Alan, was diagnosed with mesothelioma — a cancer caused by asbestos exposure. In response, she co-founded ADAO in 2004, focusing the organization on increasing awareness about the hazards of asbestos, advocating for a global asbestos ban, and providing support to those affected by asbestos-related diseases.
ADAO has grown into the largest independent nonprofit in the U.S. dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure, eliminating asbestos-related diseases, and pushing for regulatory reform. Reinstein has been a vocal presence, frequently testifying before Congress and other governmental agencies, and influencing national and international policies related to asbestos.
Reinstein’s work has significantly contributed to asbestos awareness and the protection of public health around the world. She continues to be a key figure in advocating for a global asbestos ban and supporting individuals and families affected by asbestos-related diseases. Currently, she is involved in organizing the 18th Annual ADAO Awareness and Prevention Conference and advancing the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN).
Official ADAO Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference Sponsors:
