More Columbines

I have been steadily working on the data for the paper that I and my three colleagues are writing regarding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and finished the first draft today. It is actually a chapter for a scientific book but might "morph" into other papers.

I began working with these world renown scientists late in 2008, just after they made an astounding discovery - one that could have far reaching effects for people who had suffered with the disease. After the discovery was made, my job entailed looking at the body's immune response. I completed my portion of the study without too many problems. But two of my colleagues were embroiled in scientific arguments, derision, and discredit as they tried to defend their discovery. One of these scientists actually was jailed upon allegations of theft, only to be later released and the charges dropped. But she lost her job, and her academic and scientific standing. Was it their fault? Were they really doing faulty science? Or was something far more sinister at work here?

All of the story has yet to "go public", although some of it has come out. When it does, both of these scientists will be fully exonorated. And it will come out the founders of the "institute" that one of the scientists worked for were actively involved in fraud and other criminal activities. It will come out one another researcher at that "institute" was paid to falsify data and to plant contaminating evidence which would "damn" the scientist.

This has had a backlash effect on my career as an academic and scientist. And this is why I have focused on my consulting. Yet, the four of us are together again, writing up our findings which should have been published four years ago. The scientific climate has shifted again, and scientists who once discounted our work are saying "maybe they were on to something". We have been invited to publish our findings at long last.

My dear friend and scientific colleague who suffered incarceration, was blacklisted by the scientific community and later had to declare bankruptcy defending herself, has also written her story in a book about her experience that will also be published later this summer.

Judy, I know how much you love columbines. These are for you.