This is the begging letter he wrote. He explains that he left because of unpleasant experiences with all of his peers and mentors. They for some unexplained reason really hated him. He got his masters degree as a booby prize.

"I recall that your criterion for a Ph.D. thesis in biology at UCSD is that the work makes a significant contribution to biology .

I believe that this body of work fulfils that requirement.

I left the university last December I was severely depressed and
disillusioned after many unpleasant experiences at the hands of my
advisor, a small number of his post-docs, and some members of the
department of biology.

I was granted a masters degree by virtue of my passing the Ph.D. qualifying examination, and my work has not been reviewed as a thesis . If possible , I would like to be able to submit it now as a Ph.D. thesis, and to complete an experimental collaboration with the laboratory of Dr. William Harris while a student of the university . Please contact me if there is any possibility for my doing so."

https://web.archive.org/web/20210923001728/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/550b0ac4e4b0c16cdea1b084/t/60a51a622963a366953e291d/1621432931068/Letter+to+UCSD+asking+for+re-instatment+-+denied+1989.pdf