Highly prestigious Science Magazine has published an article about Dr. Eric London’s resignation from Autism Speaks entitled “Resignations Highlight Disagreement on Vaccines in Autism Group“. Although usually only available to paying subscribers, Science Magazine has given the Autism Science Foundation special permission to link to the full article from its web site. Click here to access the link.
NAAR Founder Eric London Resigns from Autism Speaks citing Disagreement over Vaccine Research
Dr. Eric London has announced his resignation from the Autism Speaks Scientific Affairs Committee. London is the Director of the Autism Treatment Laboratory at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities. He is also Chief Scientific Advisor of the New York State Autism Consortium and a member of the Autism Science Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board. He is the co-founder of the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR).
Dr. London’s letter of resignation is below:
After three years of great hopes for Autism Speaks being the optimal vehicle to advance autism science and treatment, I regretfully and sadly must announce my dissociation from this organization, including resignation from the Scientific Affairs Committee.
If this were the only issue, I might have continued to try to work from within the organization to influence science policy and direction. However, the pivotal issue compelling my decision is the position which Autism Speaks is taking concerning vaccinations. The arguments which Dr. Dawson and others assert– that the parents need even further assurances and there might be rare cases of “biologically plausible” vaccine involvement –are misleading and disingenuous. Through its website and other communications, Autism Speaks has been influential and contributory in encouraging parents’ doubts. By preferentially investing and advocating for the use of limited financial resources on the “biological plausibility” argument, the organization is adversely impacting the advancement of autism research.