Several experts in diabetes were removed from a prominent medical conference after distributing an editorial critical of the Trump administration’s impact on scientific research. The incident occurred at the American Diabetes Association meeting in New Orleans.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was due to speak at the conference. However, he was replaced by a senior adviser after security interrupted the event. The experts had provided copies of the editorial from the journal Diabetes Care that detailed how NIH funding cuts affected diabetes research.
Aaron Kelly, a professor at the University of Minnesota, described security’s attempts to confiscate the papers and escort them out. MedPage Today’s video captured a tense exchange involving a man in uniform confronting an expert.
Researchers re-entered the convention center but faced further intervention from security and police. Dr. Kelly stated that they faced intimidation, with warnings of arrest and trespassing. Justin Ryder, a researcher at Northwestern Medicine, was also involved in handing out the editorial.
The Louisiana State Police representative explained that the event organizers requested assistance to remove certain individuals. Researchers stated their badges were seized, and they were informed not to return.
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