Diabetes Association in uproar after members expelled from annual meeting over protest of NIH cuts
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- American Diabetes Association escorted five diabetes experts out of its New Orleans annual meeting after they handed out copies of an editorial criticizing federal cuts to biomedical research.
- John Buse, former ADA president and editor of Diabetes Care, co‑authored the editorial, said it represented the authors’ personal views, and later called the ADA’s justification for the expulsions “bullshit.”
- American Diabetes Association defended the expulsions by citing IRS rules for 501(c)(3) nonprofits that prohibit partisan activity and require a nonpartisan environment at events.
- National Institutes of Health issued a statement directing inquiries to law‑enforcement authorities and clarified it was not involved in the ADA’s decision to remove the members.
- Mark Atkinson resigned as the scientific sessions planning committee chair, and President‑Elect Jennifer Green also stepped down.
- David Nathan launched a Change.org open letter that gathered 5,900 signatures calling for an apology or leadership change at the ADA.
- The editorial surged in visibility after the expulsions, becoming the 50th‑most cited and most‑viewed paper worldwide among 300,000 papers published that month.
Why it matters: Members and researchers lose a trusted venue for policy advocacy while the ADA’s credibility suffers, as its enforcement of a non‑partisan rule silences dissent on NIH funding cuts; the resignations and a 5,900‑signature petition signal internal backlash that could force leadership change and reshape the association’s governance.
