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Abstract
Silverman also mentored many young scientists, his wife recalled. "He treated everyone who worked with him as a valued individual, and encouraged them", she said, adding that she has many letters from his former students that start: "If it weren't for Paul . . ." His support extended to colleagues. When Thomas Murray became president of the Hastings Center, he decided to include an article that was critical of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the Hastings Center Report. One of their donors, a pharmaceutical company that made an SSRI, was enraged and withdrew support, to the tune of US$25 000. Although Murray was proud he published the article, he worried that the board of directors might be less than thrilled. But Silverman, who was on the board, denounced the funder's attempts at "bullying", and supported Murray. "He took that stance firmly, and that mattered a lot to me", Murray said.