Cambridge and UCL professor ‘did not notice’ double salaries

Prof Akhilesh Reddy said he was unaware he was being paid two salaries

A professor specialising in human "body-clocks" had been suspended from medical practice after receiving full-time salaries from two universities.

Prof Akhilesh Reddy, a medical doctor, was paid by University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge.

He made a £50,000 mortgage repayment, saying he thought the extra money was a salary "overlap".

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal suspended him from the medical register for misconduct.

In December 2016, UCL became aware Prof Reddy may have two salaries and raised concerns with the University of Cambridge.

The neurologist and researcher gave inconsistent statements about the money, claiming he only noticed the salary issue when he checked his account in February 2016, five months after starting at UCL, the tribunal heard.

'Financially aware'

He said he thought the universities were "sharing his salary", that there was an "overlap" in his salaries and also that he thought the large sum was just his salary from UCL.

However, the tribunal dismissed his claims, saying he was a "financially aware man", as shown by his making the £50,000 repayment in February 2016 and his negotiation of a UCL salary nearly double that of his Cambridge one.

In a statement read to the tribunal, Prof Reddy said he thought "all necessary people were fully aware of the position."

Prof Reddy has moved to Pennsylvania to continue his research following the allegations.

He has since repaid the "large amount of money" and the tribunal said he had showed remorse for his actions.

Prof Reddy was accepted a job at UCL but kept taking a salary from Cambridge University

A UCL spokesman: "UCL immediately took action as soon as we became aware that Akhilesh Reddy was drawing two salaries and he is no longer employed by UCL.

"This was a unique set of circumstances that involved the complex transfer of an academic group who remained for a period of time at their previous university before moving to a laboratory separate from UCL's campus.

"The behaviour of the individual involved fell seriously below the standards of behaviour we expect from members of UCL's academic community."

A University of Cambridge spokesman said it was "profoundly disappointed" by Prof Reddy's actions.