Inside STAT: 'CRISPR babies' researcher tells colleagues he's doing well

He Jiankui — the Chinese scientist known for his "CRISPR babies" bombshell — has told two Western colleagues that he's "actually doing quite well" while staying in a university apartment in the city of Shenzhen. Contrary to a flurry of reports that he's under house arrest and possibly facing the death penalty, Jiankui told Stanford's Dr. William Hurlbut that he's free to leave the apartment and has done so to take walks. Hurlbut said He is concerned about "venturing out and being vulnerable" after receiving threatening emails about his experiment. Colleagues who've heard from He say he spends his time reading, communicating with colleagues, and thinking about the work that made global headlines. STAT’s Sharon Begley has the story here.