American scientist James Watson, who won a Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work into the DNA, has been stripped of his last honorary titles after making further controversial comments about race.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, which Watson once headed, explained in a statement that its move to strip the scientist of his titles as Chancellor Emeritus, Oliver R Grace Professor Emeritus and honorary trustee, is in response to comments he made in a recently-aired PBS documentary.
In the "American Masters: Decoding Watson" film, the molecular biologist, 90, said that genes cause a difference in intelligence on average between black and white people in IQ tests.
The Lab said it "unequivocally rejects the unsubstantiated and reckless personal opinions Dr. James D. Watson expressed on the subject of ethnicity and genetics."
"Dr. Watson's statements are reprehensible, unsupported by science, an in no way represent the views of CSHL, its trustees, faculty, staff, or students.
"The Laboratory condemns the misuse of science to justify prejudice," it added.
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