The Salk Institute in La Jolla on Friday confirmed a report in the journal Science that says Satchin Panda, one of its top biologists, is resigning in the wake of a sexual misconduct investigation.
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Panda, who was recently placed on leave, will formally step down on Aug. 13, after 22 years at the institute, the Salk told the Union-Tribune on Friday.
“In March of this year, a staff research assistant raised concerns about workplace misconduct through Salk’s official reporting channels,” the institute said in a statement. “The Institute offered support and resources to the staff member and initiated a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation.”
The institute said it was responding to a workplace misconduct complaint that the researcher filed with its human resources department.
The Salk said the person involved was a female researcher in Panda’s laboratory, which studies such subjects as circadian rhythms and intermittent fasting. The woman, whose name has not been disclosed, voluntarily left the Salk at a date that also was not disclosed.
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The Union-Tribune was unable to reach Panda for comment Friday. The journal Science said that, in an email, Panda denied the “allegations and accusations …. I am deeply committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and professional environment for everyone in my research team and across the Institute.
“These values are central to my leadership,” he wrote, according to the journal.
Panda’s research, which has brought millions of dollars to the Salk, explores the molecular basis of circadian rhythms, which scientists refer to as our internal 24-hour clock, according to the Salk.
Such studies help researchers look for ways to prevent and reverse chronic disease. He also has been a leader in the study of intermittent fasting — also known as time-restricted eating — to help improve a person’s health.
His departure comes eight years after Inder Verma, one of the most prominent biologists in the Salk’s history, resigned following an investigation into alleged sexual harassment. Eight women, including six with affiliations to the institute, claimed they were harassed by Verma, who denied the allegations.
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