A top researcher at the Salk Institute in La Jolla has resigned following an investigation into his conduct.
Inder Verma was suspended in April following sexual harassment allegations. The institute was wrapping up its internal investigation last week when Verma gave his unconditional resignation.
In a statement released on Monday, Salk President Rusty Gage and Board of Trustees Chair Dan Lewis, said Verma’s resignation was unanimously accepted.
“Although we will not comment on the details of this confidential personnel matter, we wanted to share with you the outcome of this process,” Gage and Lewis stated. “Based on the findings of the investigator, the Institute has considered appropriate responsive action.”
According to a story in the journal Science, Verma was accused of sexual harassment by eight women. Verma has denied the allegations.
Salk had described Verma on its website as “one of the world’s leading authorities on gene therapy and cancer.”
Verma was also ousted as editor of the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Trouble for the Salk Institute began last summer when three female employees filed gender discrimination lawsuits.
“As we have acknowledged, this has been a challenging time for the Institute,” Gage and Lewis stated. “When we signed on to be part of the Salk, we signed on to Jonas Salk’s bold mission to better humanity. And no humanistic value can be more important than respectful, fair treatment of each and every person — not just on our campus, but in all walks of our lives.”
