Statement from Professor Andrew P. McMahon
Frank B. Baird, Jr. Professor of Science and Chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
November 28, 2001

On Friday November 16th we received word that a car rented to Professor Don Wiley had been found abandoned on a bridge just outside of Memphis, Tennessee. Don was attending a scientific advisory group visit to St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis. He was last seen a few hours prior to the report of the abandoned car at a dinner with fellow board members and St. Jude scientists and officials. Those who were with Don report that he was in excellent spirits, fully engaged in his advisory role. Not knowing Don's whereabouts has placed a great strain on Don's family, his laboratory and his many friends and scientific colleagues within MCB and the broader scientific community. The situation has not been helped by recent media speculation that there may be a connection between Don's disappearance and his research.

Don is one of the world's preeminent structural biologists. His research has focused on understanding at the atomic level the action of cell surface proteins that mediate binding and fusion of a few key viruses, most notably influenza, and the means by which cells present foreign peptides to stimulate an appropriate immune responses. With this in mind, the speculation of a bio-terrorist link to Don's disappearance is far-fetched to say the least. Our thoughts remain with Don and his family as we await someconcrete information.