Concerns over the future governance continue to shake Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), the highest rated, but an institution research in financial trouble in Houston, Texas. Last week, after merger talks with Rice University nearby collapsed, reports surface of the leaders of the BCM want to join forces with Baylor University (BU) in Waco, Texas. (Both have been linked in the past but divide it 41 years ago.) The proposal of the Protestant BCM faculty Baptist University could slow research in areas such as stem cells. The unrest follows a new setback for BCM-federal crackdown on school management of conflicts of interest.
The stated mission of Baylor University is "to educate men and women ... by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment." News last week of a possible meeting of the two Baylors provoked a protest letter to the acting president of BCM, William Butler, and the BCM board chair. Over 400 BCM faculty and staff, students and old signed the online petition, which warns that "religious ideologies that permeate in all university policies BU can affect both scientific progress and culture at BCM, particularly regarding issues such as evolution, embryonic stem cells, and sexual orientation. "
in an email this morning, Butler said that" this is not a merger ... but rather a strengthening of our longtime affiliation with Baylor University. "Any agreement" will ensure that BCM maintains its independence and especially its scientific and academic freedom, "he wrote. But some professors of the medical school doubt that a firewall might work. researcher embryonic human stem cells Zwaka Thomas, who signed the petition, said "it makes no sense to me" BU that would form an alliance without imposing its values on BCM. Otherwise, he said, "What is the point?" According to Waco Tribune-Herald , an agreement could be discussed at a meeting on January 27 BCM board.
Meanwhile, medical school is dealing with another headache. The National Institutes of Health has "serious concerns about the compliance of the BCM" with the rules on the management of conflicts of interest of investigators funded by the NIH, according to a letter last week from the NIH to Senator Charles Grassley (R- IA). the NIH review came after Grassley questioned the supervision of the school more than $ 34,000 that pharmaceutical companies paid BCM cardiologist Christie Ballantyne for work involving cholesterol-lowering medication Vytorin. NIH asked BCM to document he managed potential conflicts for each new grant and review documents for NIH grants active in 04.
"We have been and continue to work directly with the NIH on this issue and we are confident that we meet all the suggestions that have been made and any request for additional information, "said BCM science Insider in a statement.
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