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Disability lawsuit lands Howard Hughes Medical Institute in court

RNA biologist Vivian Cheung accuses the institute of discrimination after it decided not to renew her funding.
  1. Amanda Heidt
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A legal case involving allegations stretching back a decade is finally making its way to court. The lawsuit, involving RNA biologist Vivian Cheung and her former employer, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), is set to begin on 4 December. Cheung alleges that the organization discriminated against her when it withdrew her funding after she was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. Representatives of the HHMI, which is based in Chevy Chase, Maryland, say that the institute did not renew her funding because her research was no longer of the calibre expected of its investigators, and court documents suggest that the institute’s legal team will adopt a similar defence.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03848-z

Updates & Corrections

  • Correction 05 December 2023: An earlier version of this story misstated the details of Cheung’s discrimination claim and how her requests for disability accommodations were handled. It also implied that the investigator awards are grants, rather than funding mechanisms, and that the court documents are evidence of fact.

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