Deeper Issues Underlie UC San Diego Lawsuit Over Raid by USC
Summary
A lawsuit that UC San Diego filed last week against the University of Southern California and a prominent Alzheimer’s disease researcher may have ramifications for a concerted effort to create a major new hub for life sciences innovation in Los Angeles.UC San Diego expected to retain the Alzheimer’s study, and immediately named two UCSD physician-scientists, William Mobley and Michael Rafii, to step in for Aisen as interim co-directors.Aisen and his collaborators have designed and led many large clinical trials, and their group’s knowledge and expertise, combined with USC’s existing strengths in medical neuroscience, promise to accelerate discoveries and treatments for neurological diseases that affect millions around the world.“We are surprised and disappointed that the University of California, San Diego, elected to sue its departing faculty member and his team, as well as USC, rather than manage this transition collaboratively, as is the well-accepted custom and practice in academia.” However the case is resolved, the legal hostilities are just the latest episode in a bigger and much more ambitious drama that has been playing out in recent years.To realize this vision, a master plan prepared last year for Los Angeles County officials said the regional bioscience industry must overcome some key weaknesses—including an inability to effectively recruit senior-level talent.