Mark R. Geier

Mark R. Geier was born in 1948 in Washington, D.C. He earned legitimate graduate credentials: a PhD in genetics from George Washington University and an MD from the same institution, subsequently working as a research geneticist at the National Institutes of Health in the early 1970s. He later co-founded one of the first private prenatal genetic practices in the United States, which appeared to represent a conventional career trajectory.

Geier's turn toward anti-vaccine advocacy began in the late 1990s, when he became a prominent expert witness in vaccine-injury litigation, ultimately testifying in more than 90 vaccine cases. His research purporting to link thimerosal-containing vaccines to autism was repeatedly criticized by the American Academy of Pediatrics for scientific errors and data manipulation. Courts gradually rejected his testimony: by 2010, a Special Master in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program found that all of his epidemiological studies were unreliable and should be given no weight.

Geier and his son David developed the 'Lupron protocol,' claiming that testosterone forms an insoluble complex with mercury in the brains of autistic children and that suppressing testosterone with Lupron—normally used in prostate cancer treatment and for chemical castration—would release the mercury for chelation. Expert pediatric endocrinologists described the underlying chemistry as physically impossible and labeled the protocol 'junk science.' The Geiers established clinics across multiple states, charging families thousands of dollars monthly for Lupron injections not approved by the FDA for autism. They created an IRB at Geier's home address including family members and a litigation attorney—a body that investigators called a 'sham IRB.'

In May 2011, the Maryland Board of Physicians suspended Geier's license on grounds including incompetence and immoral conduct, finding he had falsely claimed board certification in genetics and epidemiology to the Board. By 2013, his license had been suspended or revoked in every state where he was licensed. Despite losing his license, Geier's legacy of harm persists: the Lupron protocol he promoted subjected hundreds of autistic children to a drug with significant risks to normal development, all based on pseudoscientific reasoning.

“Testosterone 'locks' mercury in the brain of autistic children, and suppressing testosterone with Lupron while using chelation therapy will remove the mercury and reduce autism symptoms.”

There is no scientific evidence for this 'testosterone-mercury complex' mechanism. The hypothesis was described as 'junk science' by expert pediatric endocrinologists. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition, not a mercury poisoning syndrome. Lupron suppresses puberty, disrupts normal hormonal development, and can have permanent consequences in children.

“Thimerosal in vaccines causes autism, supported by his epidemiological studies.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics, CDC, and multiple independent international studies find no causal link between thimerosal and autism. The 2010 Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Special Master found all of Geier's epidemiological studies to be 'not reliable' and without evidentiary weight.