Famed Cancer Researcher Placed on Leave After Sexual-Harassment Accusations

Inder Verma, a renowned cancer and genetics researcher at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, was placed on administrative leave on April 21 after allegations were made against him, according to a Salk Institute spokeswoman. On Thursday, the magazine Science published an article describing the accounts of eight women who said they were sexually harassed by Verma between 1976 and 2016.

In a statement to the magazine Verma denied touching women inappropriately or making inappropriate comments and said he had never used his position at Salk to take advantage of anyone.

The women who spoke to Science said Verma grabbed their breasts, pinched their butts, forcibly kissed them, or propositioned them. Some of them described avoiding him and warning other women to do the same. Three of the women told Science that they or others had reported their incidents to the human-resources department but that little happened as a result.

The Salk Institute spokeswoman said in a statement that an investigation by an “independent outside party” into the allegations against Verma began in March. The statement said that in preparing her article, the Science reporter provided the institute with new information and the investigation expanded. According to Science, Verma was put on leave two days after receiving questions from the magazine.

“When Salk officials have been made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by an employee, the Institute has investigated and responded, as appropriate, including taking disciplinary action when warranted,” the Salk statement said. “Salk has not condoned – and will not condone – workplace behavior found to be inappropriate, regardless of the stature or influence of the person who engaged in such conduct.”

Verma joined Salk in 1974 and has received millions of dollars in funding for his research over the last four decades. He was placed on leave from his role as editor of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences at the start of this year, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Most of the women who spoke to Science worked with Verma at the Salk Institute. They include Pamela L. Mellon, now a professor of reproductive medicine at the University of California at San Diego. She was an assistant professor at Salk when Verma grabbed her breasts at a party he hosted at his house, according to Science.

Verma was later named chair of Mellon’s promotion review committee. She reported the incident to the director of the human-resources department, who she said only told her she needed counseling, according to Science. (Salk told the magazine that it has no record of this incident.)

Some of the women described ways in which avoiding Verma affected their careers. Monica Zoppè, who was a postdoc in Verma’s lab in 1992, said that after he tried to kiss her and she rebuffed him, he routinely disparaged her work. Another woman, whom Science did not name, said Verma pinched her butt when she was visiting the institute as a recruit for a position. She declined the job offer.

Science also reported that Salk was accused of gender discrimination in lawsuits filed in 2017 by three female scientists. The magazine reported that some women have said they had positive experiences at the institute.

Nell Gluckman writes about faculty issues and other topics in higher education. You can follow her on Twitter @nellgluckman, or email her at nell.gluckman@chronicle.com.