Co-discoverer of the structure of DNA and Nobel laureate James Watson, who caused outrage last week by characterising people of African descent as genetically inferior, has announced his retirement chancellor of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Watson has been embroiled in controversy because of comments he made to a UK newspaper concerning the intelligence of Africans. The 79-year-old鈥檚 decision follows the laboratory鈥檚 decision to suspend him from his position as chancellor.
Eduardo Mestre, chairman of the board of CSHL, says Watson鈥檚 contribution to the understanding of DNA 鈥渨ill continue to influence biomedical research for decades to come鈥�, and added that, the board 鈥渞espects his decision to retire at this point in his career鈥�.
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Watson created a storm of controversy when he told The Sunday Times newspaper that he was 鈥渋nherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa,鈥� adding that 鈥淸all] our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours 鈥� whereas all the testing says not really鈥�.
鈥楥ontroversial and sad鈥�
Shortly after publication of the interview, Watson back-tracked, saying he was 鈥渕ortified about what has happened鈥� and that 鈥渢here is no scientific basis for such a belief鈥�.
Watson joined the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, which conducts research into cancer, neurobiology and plant genetics, as director in 1968, and served as president until 2003, at which point he assumed the role of chancellor.
鈥淎lthough the immediate events surrounding his retirement were controversial and sad,鈥� says Mark Walport, director of the Wellcome Trust in London, UK, 鈥渋t should not be forgotten that it was Jim Watson who arranged that 3 to 5% of the US expenditure on the human genome project was devoted to study of the important ethical, legal and social issues related to human genome research.鈥�
Bruce Stillman, current president of the laboratory, also paid tribute to Watson鈥檚 achievements saying he is owed 鈥渁 great deal of gratitude for devoting much of his professional career 聟 to building up Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory into a leading research centre鈥�.