Schools
Northwestern Neuroscientist Found Dead After Racism Allegations
A Northwestern University postdoctoral fellow took his own life after being linked to anonymous anti-Semitic and racist social media posts.
EVANSTON, IL —A Northwestern University neuroscientist took his own life Tuesday morning in Evanston after he was accused of posting racist and anti-Semitic comments on an anonymous Twitter account.
Bart Van Alphen, 43, was found dead by a passerby on the jogging path in Elliot Park shortly before noon, authorities said. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death a suicide the next day.
"It is with a heavy heart that I write to share that a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neurobiology, Bart van Alphen, passed away Tuesday. I extend my deepest condolences to Bart's wife, family and friends and offer support to them during this difficult time," Northwestern University Provost Kathleen Hagerty said Tuesday night in a message to the school community.
Van Alphen, who specialized in sleep research, was the lead author of a research article published in Science Advances last month about the power of deep sleep to clear waste from the brains of fruit flies. A news release announcing the study was later removed from Northwestern's website.
The neurobiologist was also alleged to have been the author behind a Twitter account that posted racist, anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi content under the handle "Dr Caveman," or @The_Dr_Caveman.
Starting in October, another Twitter user created an account called @BartVanCaveman and began to post screenshots and other evidence linking Van Alphen to the Caveman account, which was created five days after Van Alphen's professional account and described itself as that of a "sleep researcher" and "closeted right wing academic."
Later in the fall, a letter signed by more than 120 scholars called on Northwestern to investigate the allegations against Van Alphen and condemn views posted on the Caveman account, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Before Van Alphen's death, a university spokesperson said the anonymous account's views ran counter to the university's values, but school officials could not "silence someone based on abhorrent views alone."
In December, a Northwestern PhD candidate said in a series of tweets that university officials had recently said they would take no action against the "avowed neo-nazi" postdoc behind the Caveman account.
"We've been told that, without explicitly naming targets, the university will not investigate threats of violence. Worse yet, we are told that this hate speech is either 'not credible,' or 'protected speech,'" the grad student said.
"When I personally brought this issue through proper channels, I was told (and this is real) to 'reach out to Hillel' for support," he added. "Ironically, amid calls for supporting diversity and inclusion, upper admin show no clear concern."
The social media allegations against Van Alphen resurfaced following the publication of his paper, when the owner of the Van Caveman Twitter account, who described themselves as unaffiliated with Northwestern, posted a reorganized thread of allegations.
Van Alphen's anonymous accuser encouraged the public to contact professional organizations to notify them of the neo-Nazi views they claimed were espoused by the scientist. Word of the allegations had begun to reach other members of the fly neuroscience community. And late last month, Van Alphen switched his professional account to private and the owner of the Caveman account deleted it.
Earlier this week, Van Alphen reportedly sent out an email to members of his department admitting that he had been responsible for the posts attributed to him and apologizing. He denied that he was an extremist, violent, racist or a Nazi.
"I do own the Dr Caveman account and have tweeted many offensive statements as part of a subculture that traffics in dark, cynical humor and deliberate attempts to be as offensive as possible. These tweets do not reflect my person beliefs and I deeply apologize for the distress, fear and anger they have caused," he said. "I am not writing this in an attempt to salvage my career. That part of my life is over. Instead, I want to start mitigating the damage I have caused. I don't expect the matter to be closed with an apology, but I hope it is a first step."
A day later, he took his own life.
After Van Alphen's death, the person running the Van Caveman account changed its settings to restrict public view. The account holder did not respond to inquiries Wednesday.
In her message to the university community, Hagerty said grief and counseling services would be provided to faculty, staff and students in the neurobiology department.
"I know this news will be shocking to many of you and that the loss of a Northwestern community member can impact people in many different ways," she said. "Please help those around you who might be struggling today and in the days ahead, and provide a shoulder, encouragement or a kind word to those who need it."
Anyone who is struggling can get help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or by texting HOME to 741741.
