MRC Lead Apologizes Following Bullying Allegations

In a statement issued by UK Research and Innovation, stem cell biologist Fiona Watt said she was devastated to learn of the impact of her actions and behavior on colleagues.

Written byCatherine Offord

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Fiona Watt, a stem cell biologist and current leader of the UK Medical Research Council, has made an apology in response to allegations about bullying during her time as executive chair. The anonymous whistleblower complaint describing allegations about Watt’s behavior last year prompted an investigation by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the government body that includes the Medical Research Council (MRC) and other funding councils.

“I engaged fully with the investigation, accepted the findings and offered written apologies to the individuals involved [while] of course respecting their anonymity,” Watt says in a statement issued by the UKRI on Wednesday (December 15). The statement does not provide information about the findings of the investigation.

“I would like to apologise to them again publicly,” Watt continues. “I was devastated to learn that my actions and behaviour had affected colleagues in a negative way. I have now undertaken an extensive personal improvement plan ...

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Meet the Author

Catherine Offord
After undergraduate research with spiders at the University of Oxford and graduate research with ants at Princeton University, Catherine left arthropods and academia to become a science journalist. She has worked in various guises at The Scientist since 2016. As Senior Editor, she wrote articles for the online and print publications, and edited the magazine’s Notebook, Careers, and Bio Business sections. She reports on subjects ranging from cellular and molecular biology to research misconduct and science policy. Find more of her work at her website.
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