Police Remove Researchers From ADA Conference After Editorial Distribution

Several diabetes researchers were removed by police from an American Diabetes Association (ADA) medical conference in New Orleans on Friday after distributing copies of an editorial critical of the Trump administration’s impact on scientific research. The incident occurred shortly before a scheduled address by Dr.

Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), who ultimately did not speak. A senior NIH adviser took his place, according to the account in the source material.

The researchers said security staff first asked them to leave after they began handing out the editorial. After they re-entered through another entrance, police told them they would be arrested for trespassing if they returned, and their conference badges were confiscated. Organizers barred five researchers, including some scheduled to present, from further participation in the meeting, the source material said.

The editorial, recently published in the ADA’s journal Diabetes Care , described the effects of NIH cuts and other Trump administration actions on diabetes research and outcomes, according to the source material. One of the researchers involved was Dr. Steven Kahn, editor-in-chief of Diabetes Care , who helped write the editorial and was distributing copies at the conference.

Conference organizers cite code of conduct and security concerns

In an email to Dr. Kahn, the ADA said his actions violated the conference’s code of conduct, which it said is intended to ensure participants behave in a professional and respectful manner and that the meeting remains safe and focused on scientific advancement. The email said he had been told distribution of materials was not permitted and that he could have stayed at the meeting if he stopped handing out the editorial, but that organizers removed him after he continued.

The ADA’s message also noted the logistical and security measures involved when a federal official attends. A public affairs representative for the Louisiana State Police said event organizers requested police assistance to remove several people from the event, according to the source material.

Researchers question whether politics played a role

Several of the removed researchers said they believed the action was partly driven by concern about potential repercussions from the Trump administration. The source material also said an NIH spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The episode has focused attention on how scientific conferences manage on-site advocacy and dissent when senior federal officials are expected to appear. Any further clarification is likely to depend on additional statements from the ADA, the police, or NIH officials.