Former Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne Addresses Allegations in New Book

Former Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, now chief executive of AI drug‑discovery startup Xaira, spoke publicly for the first time at the STAT Breakthrough Summit West in San Francisco.

During the session, STAT reporter Matthew Herper read excerpts from Theo Baker’s new book “How to Rule the World,” which allege that Tessier-Lavigne was forced to resign because of shortcomings in his oversight of scientists and his handling of the controversy.

The book claims the board criticized his “admit‑nothing, deny‑everything” approach and suggests the university’s investigation omitted another incident that contributed to his ouster.