Diabetes Association Resigns Response: ADA Publishing VP Quits
Christian Kohler, the American Diabetes Association's vice president for professional publications, resigned on November 6 over how the group handled an editorial boycott at its journal Diabetes Care. The boycott followed the removal of five attendees from a June meeting in New Orleans.
Christian Kohler, vice president for professional publications at the American Diabetes Association (ADA), resigned on November 6 over how the organization has handled an editorial boycott at its journal Diabetes Care. The diabetes association resigns response comes after a protest at the group's annual meeting in June.
Kohler said he acted "after considerable reflection and with profound disappointment in ADA's handling of the events of June 5 in New Orleans." He has worked at the ADA for more than 20 years, according to his LinkedIn profile, and has held his current role since 2022.
His "immediate decision to resign" stemmed from ADA leadership's decision to appoint an interim editorial team for Diabetes Care, despite his repeated objections, according to his resignation letter.
What triggered the boycott
The dispute began at the ADA's Scientific Sessions conference in New Orleans, where National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya was scheduled to speak. Five attendees were ejected for handing out copies of a Diabetes Care editorial on the impact of NIH funding cuts outside the hall where his talk was to take place.
The ADA released a summary of an independent review on September 1. It concluded the five were removed because their actions violated the conference's code of conduct, not because of the material they were distributing. The full report followed on October 23.
Several members then announced a boycott of ADA activities, including presentations, grant reviews, manuscript reviews, journal management and submissions.
Journal stops taking papers
Steven Kahn, editor-in-chief of Diabetes Care and a professor of medicine at the University of Washington, was one of the five removed. He wrote on LinkedIn in September that the journal would no longer accept new submissions until the impasse is resolved or the editors are replaced.
The editors posted a notice saying they had suspended review of new manuscripts submitted from September 10, 2026. The notice was later removed without their knowledge. Kahn said about 400 manuscripts submitted since the boycott began have not been handled.
Kohler objected to appointing people "to perform essential editorial functions without an established Editor-in-Chief who assumes ultimate responsibility and accountability." He also cited the lack of a formal process for vetting whether interim editors are suited to handle the range of research submitted to the journal.
Kohler said he hopes sharing his letter will help "get an honest conversation moving forward" and lead to "meaningful reforms at ADA."
An ADA spokesperson thanked him for his years of service. "It is unfortunate that the boycott targets a resource that provides critical value and support to healthcare professionals," the spokesperson said late Saturday.
