General Discussion

' 'Ladapo’s a charlatan’: Florida surgeon general’s tenure at UF is lackluster, colleagues say'

(Florida Alligator) "When Gov. Ron DeSantis hand-picked Joseph Ladapo as Florida’s surgeon general in September 2021, the role came with a second high-profile appointment: a tenured faculty position at UF...But Ladapo’s colleagues still aren’t sure what he does to earn his salary at the university. Some say not much."

"UF fast-tracked Ladapo into a $337,000-a-year contract as part of his role as the state’s top medical official, charging him with launching an internal medicine research program, taking on a part-time teaching role and leading an administrative team."

"A rising star among conservatives opposing pandemic-era safety measures, Ladapo dazzled UF’s top brass with his Ivy League credentials and multi-million dollar research portfolio. After reviewing his résumé, the medical school’s dean said he looked 'fabulous.' "

"Now, more than three years into his tenure, internal records and interviews with more than a dozen professors and administrators raise questions about whether Ladapo is meeting UF’s expectations."

"Ladapo’s work calendar shows monthslong stretches with little or no activity. Instead of attaining grants and conducting research, he spent his first year revising manuscripts and writing his memoir, 'Transcend Fear,' which details his skepticism of vaccines."

"He also promised to bring hundreds of thousands in research dollars from the University of California at Los Angeles, his previous employer. That never happened. He blamed his former boss, claiming she withheld the funds over disagreements about COVID-19 policies. A review of internal reports and public directories indicate Ladapo hasn't secured any research grants for UF."

"His classroom contributions are similarly sparse. Ladapo agreed to dedicate 20% of his time to teaching; so far, that’s amounted to a handful of seminars and guest lectures. A proposed course on 'critical evaluation of scientific evidence' has yet to materialize."

Continued at link:

https://www.alligator.org/article/2025/03/ladapo-s-a-charlatan-florida-surgeon-general-s-tenure-at-uf-is-lackluster-colleagues-say