Harvard teaching hospital to retract papers by top researchers following data falsification probe
A Harvard University-affiliated teaching hospital is seeking to retract or correct dozens of papers authored by four of its top researchers — including the hospital’s CEO — following a probe into allegations of data falsification.
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston has already initiated six retractions to papers and 31 others are in the process of being corrected, the hospital’s research integrity officer, Dr. Barrett Rollins, confirmed to the Harvard Crimson.
The corrections follow claims of data falsification leveled against the cancer institute’s CEO, Dr. Laurie Glimcher, chief operating officer Dr. William Hahn, director of the Clinical Investigator Research Program Dr. Irene Ghobrial and Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center program director Dr. Kenneth Anderson.
The latest accusations come just weeks after Harvard University president Claudine Gay resigned from her top post after she was embroiled in her own plagiarism scandal.
All four of the Dana-Farber researchers have faculty appointments with the Harvard Medical School.
News of the probe surfaced after a data sleuth, Sholto David, published a blog post earlier this month alleging irregularities in a total of 57 papers.
The exact nature of the retractions or corrections wasn’t immediately known, but the online sleuth had previously alleged elements of “data forgery” tied to discrepancies in images, including duplications of blots, bands and plots.
It also wasn’t clear if the institute had uncovered any evidence of misconduct during its probe.
The hospital’s research integrity officer said that although discrepancies were identified in some of the papers, it didn’t necessarily provide evidence of an author’s intent to deceive.
“That conclusion can only be drawn after a careful, fact-based examination which is an integral part of our response,” Rollins said.
“Our experience is that errors are often unintentional and do not rise to the level of misconduct.”
The institute and the researchers involved took “prompt and decisive action” on the first 37 papers, while the 38th manuscript is still under investigation, according to Rollins.
Of the 19 other papers flagged by David, Rollins said three required no further action and 16 remain under investigation because the data in question were collected in labs that don’t belong to the four researchers.
“Where possible, the heads of all of the other laboratories have been contacted and we will work with them to see that they correct the literature as warranted,” Rollins said.
“We are committed to a culture of accountability and integrity. Every inquiry about research integrity is examined fully.”
Glimcher and the other three researchers didn’t immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The Post also reached out to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The fresh allegations are just the latest tranche of claims leveled against Harvard-affiliated researchers after the Ivy League school’s president stepped down from her prestigious post following weeks of controversy over her own academic record.
Gay’s academic career came under intense scrutiny after she was hit with nearly 50 accusations of plagiarism or inadequate citation.
The Harvard Corporation, Harvard’s governing board, said a review had turned up a “few instances of inadequate citation” but no evidence of research misconduct.
The board added that Gay would update her dissertation and request corrections.
