Tom Insel: Who Needs A Conflict Of Interest Shop?
7 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // June 10th, 2010 // 6:56 am
As the National Institutes of Health grappled last year with an ongoing Senate probe into financial conflicts of interest involving academic researchers who accept federal grants and industry funding, Tom Insel downplayed the need for a “COI shop” devoted to handling the problem. Insel, you may recall, heads the National Institutes of Mental Health, and helped lead the NIH regulatory review process that recently proposed new rules for monitoring conflicts of interest (see this).
His view was expressed in a May 6, 2009, e-mail to colleagues who asked about hiring someone to help with COI issues that have been “swamping me,” as one wrote in a different e-mail the same day (you can read them here). Insel wasn’t persuaded. “I think there are more urgent needs, with ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) review and program demands,” he wrote. “Might make sense for us to have someone as consultant, but I don’t want to build a COI shop with several full-time professionals.”
Meanwhile, Insel himself is now facing the unwanted glare of attention thanks to reports earlier this week that he helped Charles Nemeroff - a prominent focus of the Senate probe - obtain a job at the University of Miami after being banned from accepting NIH grants at his previous employer, Emory University (see here). Nemeroff had accepted sizeable consulting fees from GlaxoSmithKline at the same time he was the primary investigator on an NIH-funded grant for research into a Glaxo drug.
In a blog post this week, Insel attempts to address the criticism - without mentioning Nemeroff by name - by noting that, unless academics such as Nemeroff are ‘debarred’ from accepting NIH grants, even those who violate existing policies remain free to apply for still more grants (and the University of Miami med school is presumably happy to embrace this stipulation if, thanks to Nemeroff, more research dollars will flow to its campus).
Insel also expresses surprise at “allegations that NIMH has not taken this problem seriously and that as director, I have failed to take action against those who have been accused,” and points to the newly proposed NIH rules, among other steps. (Earlier this week, he also denied having any “great relationship” with Nemeroff, who he has known for years). “As the steward of public funds at NIMH,” he writes, “I am committed to ensuring that we support science that is unequivocally in the public’s interest, unambiguously supported by the public trust.” Perhaps the commitment might have been even stronger - and his surprise lessened - if he had created that COI shop last year.
richards mills
Dr. Insel- after all this how can you not believe that NIMH should at least have a few people looking at this COI issue?
send Insel packing
Stephany
Insel is a public servant overseeing MILLIONS of federal dollars for research grants, and as a citizen and tax payer I DEMAND HE BE FIRED.
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
Senator Grassley
Washington Office
135 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1501
(202) 224-3744 (O)
(202) 224-6020 (F)
MsPiggy
Not to trivialize an important topic and issue; but by watching this NIMH disturbing quagmire unfold, I can’t help but feel like I’m watching a real world episode of “LIE TO ME”.
Maybe we can get more photo’s to go along with the text?
richards mills
i agree
jill bester
how is insel co chair of the conflicts of interest committee?
Biotruth
I cannot read yet another article about this without shaking my head in disgust. Here you have Nemeroff, who allegedly failed to report over $1 million dollars of pharma income to Emory U, and who accepted huge “consulting fees” from GSK at *the same time* he was PI on an NIH-funded grant for – you guessed it - research into a GSK drug. That,and his buddies (Insel among them) help him land the new job at Miami. Enough already!
When I think of all the hard-working and highly talented researchers with great ideas who get the royal thumbs-down on their innovative research grant applications to NIH – so that these shady characters can carry on their mischief on the taxpayer’s dime - it makes my blood boil. The saddest thing of all is that this tarnishes the reputation and mission of the NIH, a fine institution with a distinguished history.
Re-assign Tom Insel. Clearly, COI is not his priority. Debar the more shady and egregious investigators from accepting NIH grant $$. Reject funding for those who knowingly violate existing policies, plagiarize with abandon, etc. Let innovation reign – there are plenty of ethical, qualified people waiting in line who actually *deserve* to be funded for their pioneering and ethical research.
scully
Biotruth:
“Let innovation reign – there are plenty of ethical, qualified people waiting in line who actually *deserve* to be funded for their pioneering and ethical research.”
Well said.
Scully