Scientists Ejected from Diabetes Conference for Distributing Journal Reprints

Five prominent diabetes researchers were ejected from the American Diabetes Association's annual conference in New Orleans on Friday. Their offense: handing out reprints of an editorial published in the journal Diabetes Care that sharply criticizes the Trump administration’s attacks on scientific research.

The ousted scientists include Steven Kahn of the University of Washington, former ADA president Desmond Schatz, Aaron Kelly of the University of Minnesota, Justin Ryder of Northwestern University, and Irl Hirsch of the University of Washington. They were distributing the material outside a room where NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya had been scheduled to speak. Bhattacharya canceled; another NIH official spoke instead.

"They physically grabbed us, forced us out of the conference center," Kelly told MedPage Today. "Censorship is real. America needs to stand up. Scientists, stand up."

The ADA confirmed the removal, citing the organization's code of conduct, which prohibits "disorderly or disruptive conduct such as protesting." The association stated the scientists were given an opportunity to stop but refused.