Marc Tessier-Lavigne, who resigned as president of Stanford University after questions arose about in his scientific research, is also leaving the board of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.
(Bloomberg) — Marc Tessier-Lavigne, who resigned as president of Stanford University after questions arose about in his scientific research, is also leaving the board of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Tessier-Lavigne, a neuroscientist who became Stanford’s president in 2016, stepped down from the board of the biopharmaceutical company effective Sept. 1, the company based in Tarrytown, New York, said Friday. He had been a director since 2011.
University presidents regularly sit on corporate boards, lending their prestige, scholarship in related subjects and expertise in managing complicated organizations. They are often awarded stock, which can add significant wealth beyond their university salaries.
Tessier-Lavigne informed Regeneron that his decision to retire was due to potential conflicts that may arise as he becomes more involved with other companies.
As a prominent scientist, Tessier-Lavigne was previously tapped for the board of Pfizer Inc., several other pharmaceutical companies and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Regeneron was the maker of a Covid antibody that former President Donald Trump credited for helping him recover from the virus. It’s no longer in use because newer versions of Covid-19 don’t respond to the treatment.
Tessier-Lavigne left his Stanford post effective Aug. 31 and will remain on the faculty. In December, a special committee of Stanford’s Board of Trustees initiated a review into allegations of misconduct related to Tessier-Lavigne’s research and papers he authored or coauthored.
The committee said it didn’t find evidence that Tessier-Lavigne engaged in “fraud or falsification of scientific data,” but it uncovered instances of manipulation of research data by members of his lab.
When he announced his resignation, Tessier-Lavigne said he should have “been more diligent when seeking corrections, and I regret that I was not,” he wrote.
–With assistance from John Lauerman.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.