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Satchin Panda exits Salk Institute amid misconduct investigation
His departure comes 8 years after another prominent Indian-origin scientist at the Salk Institute, Inder Verma resigned following a separate investigation into allegations of sexual harassment
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Ankita Baidya - Tue, 21, Jul 2026
- 03:05 EDT
- 119
Circadian rhythm researcher Satchin Panda will leave the Salk Institute on Aug. 13. / Salk Institute
Indian-origin biologist Satchin Panda will step down from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies next month following a workplace misconduct investigation, ending a 22-year career at the renowned California research institution, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Panda's resignation takes effect on Aug. 13 after he was placed on administrative leave earlier this year while the institute investigated a complaint filed by a female research assistant in his laboratory.
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The complaint was submitted through the Salk Institute's official reporting channels in March. In a statement, the institute said it offered support to the employee and initiated what it described as a prompt and impartial investigation into the allegations.
The research assistant, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, later left the institute voluntarily.
Panda has denied the allegations. In an email cited by the journal Science, he said he remains committed to fostering "a safe, respectful, and professional environment" within his laboratory and across the institute.
The Salk Institute has not publicly disclosed the findings of its internal investigation or the terms of Panda's departure.
Panda is internationally recognized for his research on circadian rhythms and time-restricted eating, also known as intermittent fasting. His work has explored how the body's internal biological clock influences metabolism, sleep and chronic disease, and has attracted significant research funding over the course of his career.
He joined the Salk Institute's Regulatory Biology Laboratory in 2004 and became a professor in 2016, according to the institute's website. He has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of California San Diego.
In interviews published by the institute, Panda has said his upbringing in India inspired his interest in biological clocks and daily rhythms. His laboratory's research on melanopsin, a light-sensitive protein in the eye that helps regulate the body's circadian clock, has been widely cited in the field.
Born in India, Panda has become one of the best-known Indian-origin scientists in circadian biology, publishing extensively on how meal timing, sleep cycles and exposure to light influence human health.
His departure comes eight years after another prominent Indian-origin scientist at the Salk Institute, Inder Verma, resigned following a separate investigation into allegations of sexual harassment. According to the New York Post, eight women, including six affiliated with the institute, accused Verma of harassment at the time. Verma denied the allegations.
Beyond the email to Science denying the misconduct allegations, Panda has not issued additional public statements regarding the investigation. The Salk Institute has also not released further information about the investigation or whether it has been concluded.
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