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Zaven S. Khachaturian, Ph.D., a consultant on Alzheimer's Disease, protesting the charges against Dr. Kay
A letter to Dr. John J. Marchalonis, Ph.D., Professor and Chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine
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Khachaturian, Radebaugh & Associates Inc
An International Consulting Group on Alzheimer's Disease
8912 Copenhaver Dr. Potomac, MD 20854
Telephone: 301 -879-2582 Fax: 301879-2023
E-mail: zaven@idt. net
July 16, 1998
Dr. John J. Marchalonis, Ph.D.
Professor and Chairman
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
University of Arizona
College of Medicine
1501 North Campbell Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85724
Dear Dr. Marchalonis:
I am writing on behalf of Dr. Marguerite M. B Kay who is being unjustly punished by the University of Arizona as retribution for, what appears to be, her criticism and outspoken stance against her principal detractor. I became aware of this case when Dr. Kay's lawyer approached me to serve as an expert witness at the CAFT hearing. The details of my qualifications are listed in the sworn witness statement presented at the hearing. Formerly I was the Associate Director for the Neuroscience and Neuropsychology of Aging Program, and the Director of the Office of Alzheimer's Disease Research at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), NIH. Currently as a consultant to the Alzheimer's Association I serve as the Director of the Association's Ronald and Nancy Reagan AIzheimer's Disease Research Institute. I have served on the editorial boards of several key scientific journals including the New England Journal of medicine.
As a witness, I reviewed Dr. Kay's diverse research activities and all the documents relevant to this case. In my opinion none of the evidence presented by CAFT was indicative of misrepresentation of data in publications. Although a technician may have selected data without Dr. Kay's knowledge, this act by itself should not be misconstrued to represent a case for "scientific misconduct". The University of Arizona, to the best of my knowledge has not presented any credible evidence that Dr. Kay committed '£scientific misconduct." The University appears to have prejudged the merits of the allegations against her, by closing down her laboratory, and seem to blatantly persecuting her by continuing its investigations with new allegations as a moving target. The closure of Dr. Kay's laboratory, during what should have been an open-minded fact finding period, is a major disservice not only to Dr. Kay, but also to the University, the research community, and the victims of Alzheimer's patients. Her, pioneering studies have benefited many people and brought credit to the University. It is a pity that this highly productive scientist has been disabled and shut down for several years because of administrative actions.
The University's handling of this unfortunate situation has been biased from its inception and it has had a seriously flawed process for adjudicating this dispute. As soon as possible, Dr. Kay should be given a second opportunity, on a level playing ground, for a fair hearing in front of an impartial jury of her peers (from other academic centers). If the University of Arizona is not capable or unwilling to accommodate this fundamental right of every faculty, indeed every citizen, the inevitable public scrutiny of this case will not bring any credit to the concept of due process in academia, the University of Arizona, and the State of Arizona.
This case deeply offends my sensibility and I am writing to appeal to your sense of fair play. I hope there is still an opportunity to correct the inequity that is being perpetrated; I remain optimistic that justice will prevail in the end. In the absence of any credible evidence for a scientific misconduct, the clumsy management of this case, without a due process, will tarnish the national reputation of the University of Arizona, and have an adverse effect on its image as an academic institution in a free country.
Sincerely,
Zaven S. Khachaturian, Ph.D.
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