UCSC animal researcher targeted

Written byBob Grant

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Attackers broke into the home of a University of California, Santa Cruz scientist who uses animals to study breast cancer and neurological disorders, on Sunday (Feb. 24), according to the linkurl:__Santa Cruz Sentinel__.;http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_8360836 Another California animal researcher - UCLA neurologist, Edythe London - has been the target of linkurl:vandalism;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/54287/ recently, with an animal rights group claiming responsibility for linkurl:flooding;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/53812/ her house last October. Lt. Rudy Escalante of the Santa Cruz Police Department told __The Scientist__ that six bandana-clad people shouted and banged on the door of the unnamed UCSC researcher's home just before 1:00 PM on Sunday and attacked a male at the house (also unnamed, but not the researcher) who came to the door. The attackers tried to enter the house and hit the man with an object before fleeing. A witness recorded the license plate number of the car leaving the scene. Neither UCSC officials nor Santa Cruz police are saying for sure whether animal rights activists were involved with incident. "I still have not seen any proof or evidence that would indicate such accusations," Escalante said. (UCSC spokespeople did not provide any additional information by the time of this story's posting.) Escalante said that Santa Cruz police raided a house Sunday night at the address to which the getaway car was registered and confiscated clothing, documents, cell phones, and computers. Escalante added that the FBI is now investigating the case along with Santa Cruz police. UCSC chancellor George Blumenthal told the __Sentinel__ that "disagreement, debate and dissent on a range of subjects are all hallmarks of a healthy university community. However, an attempted home invasion by masked perpetrators is not free speech - it is a criminal act that threatens, intimidates and stifles academic freedom."

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Meet the Author

Bob Grant
From 2017 to 2022, Bob Grant was Editor in Chief of The Scientist, where he started in 2007 as a Staff Writer. Before joining the team, he worked as a reporter at Audubon and earned a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. In his previous life, he pursued a career in science, getting a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology from Montana State University and a master’s degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Bob edited Reading Frames and other sections of the magazine.
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