James Watson, the Nobel laureate and renowned co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, resigned yesterday as chancellor of the prestigious Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York in the aftermath of an uproar over allegedly racist comments that he made last week. The lab’s board of directors had suspended him last week following publication of the comments in an interview in the October 14 edition of London’s Sunday Times. The board said its members “vehemently disagree” with Mr. Watson’s statements “and are bewildered and saddened.”

Mr. Watson, 79, said in a statement that the change in leadership was “overdue” but noted, “The circumstances in which this transfer is occurring, however, are not those which I could ever have anticipated or desired.”

Mr. Watson will be replaced as chancellor by Dr. Bruce Stillman, the current president of the laboratory.

“For over 40 years, Dr. Watson has made immeasurable contributions to the laboratory’s research and educational programs,” the board chairman Eduardo Mestre, said. “The board respects his desire to retire at this point in his career.”

Another Nobel laureate, Thomas Cech, of the University of Colorado said that ” it is very unfortunate what has transpired.” But he noted that Mr. Watson had transformed Cold Spring Harbor from “a sleepy place” to what is now “a really remarkable institution, unique in the world both in terms of its impact on biomedical science and the way it brings together scientists from all over the world through its conference programs and workshops.”

The uproar arose while Mr. Watson was in Europe to publicize his new book, “Avoid Boring People.” In an interview with his former protégé Charlotte Hunt-Grubbe, Mr. Watson said he is “inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa” because “all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours whereas all the testing says not really.”