Nobel laureate Richard Axel resigned as co-director of Columbia's neuroscience institute due to his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein
Axel is not accused of wrongdoing but called his association with Epstein a "serious error in judgment"
The resignation follows the release of documents showing continued relationships between Epstein and prominent figures
Axel will continue to research and teach at the institute despite stepping down as co-director
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Richard Axel, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist and professor, announced Tuesday that he was resigning as co-director of a flagship neuroscience institute at Columbia University because of his friendship with Jeffery Epstein. The resignation follows the release of millions of pages of documents in late January that revealed continued relationships between Epstein and prominent figures, including scientists and billionaires, even after his 2008 felony convictions for solicitation of prostitution by a minor. Axel, 79, who has been a Columbia professor for 53 years and won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2004, is not accused of wrongdoing. However, the documents show he was a frequent guest at Epstein's Manhattan home and served as an intermediary between Epstein and Columbia officials regarding admissions and philanthropy. Axel also resigned as an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In a statement, Axel called his association with Epstein a "serious error in judgment" and apologized for "compromising the trust of my friends, students and colleagues." He wrote, "What has emerged about Epstein's appalling conduct, the harm that he has caused to so many people, makes my association with him all the more painful and inexcusable." Columbia stated it had "no evidence that Dr. Axel violated any university policy or law" but agreed that "with the continued fallout from the release of the D.O.J. files," it was appropriate for Axel to relinquish his position. He will continue to research and teach at the institute.
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a private Ivy League research university in New York City, United States. It was first established in 1754 as King's College by royal charter under George II of Great Britain on the grounds of Trinity Church...
American financier and child sex offender (1953–2019)
# Jeffrey Edward Epstein
**Jeffrey Edward Epstein** (January 20, 1953 – August 10, 2019) was an American financier and convicted sex offender. He is notorious for orchestrating a massive human trafficking ring, procuring at least 1,000 underage girls and young women for sexual exploitation by himse...
The Nobel Prizes are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. The original Nobel Prizes covered five fields: physi...
Richard Axel (born July 2, 1946) is an American molecular biologist and university professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Columbia University and investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. His work on the olfactory system won him and Linda Buck, a former postdoctoral research scien...
Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Supported by SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Leader of Columbia Brain Institute Quits Over Friendship With Epstein The Nobel laureate Richard Axel is not accused of wrongdoing but called his association with Jeffrey Epstein a “serious error in judgment.” Listen to this article · 5:34 min Learn more Share full article By Sharon Otterman Feb. 25, 2026, 12:43 a.m. ET Richard Axel, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist and professor, announced Tuesday that he was resigning as a co-director of a flagship neuroscience institute at Columbia University because of his friendship with Jeffery Epstein. The resignation is the latest fallout in the world of academia from the release of millions of pages of files in late January that showed how Mr. Epstein’s relationships with billionaires, scientists and others in positions of power continued even after his 2008 felony convictions and his prison sentence for solicitation of prostitution by a minor. Dr. Axel is not accused of wrongdoing in connection with Mr. Epstein. But the files show that he was a frequent guest of Mr. Epstein’s at his Manhattan home and that he also served as an intermediary on Mr. Epstein’s behalf with Columbia officials involved in admissions and philanthropy. In a statement , Dr. Axel called his association with Mr. Epstein a “serious error in judgment” and apologized for “compromising the trust of my friends, students and colleagues.” “What has emerged about Epstein’s appalling conduct, the harm that he has caused to so many people, makes my association with him all the more painful and inexcusable,” the statement said. Columbia said in a statement that it had “no evidence that Dr. Axel violated any university policy or law.” But it said that it agreed that with the “continued fallout from the release of the D.O.J. files,” it was appropriate that Dr. Axel relinquish his position as co-director of the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute. He will continue to research and teach ...
