What happened to a scientist who falsified data in hundreds of studies?
He was appointed to a top position in a federal research agency.
A recent investigation by Science uncovered hundreds of manipulated images in the published research of Eliezer Masliah, MD.
Having worked as a neuropathology researcher at the University of California, San Diego for decades, Masliah has published about 800 papers.
Science found that many of the Western blots in his lab studies appear to have been doctored and inappropriately reused in numerous papers. This may have helped specific drugs look more effective than they are.
In 2016, Masliah was appointed to direct the Division of Neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging, with a $2.6 billion/year budget, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
In 2023, Science sent the NIH a dossier of the doctored images in Masliah’s studies. On September 26, 2024, the NIH announced that due to “findings of research misconduct,” Masliah no longer held his position.
How do we prevent this from happening again?
Fortunately, Masliah was eventually caught. But what if Science had never investigated these allegations?
He might still hold his influential position.
This case raises two important questions:
Why did the peer review process not catch this fraudulent data?
How do we create a system that rewards honest scientists rather than dishonest ones?
Please share your thoughts in the comments.
How do we create a system that rewards honest scientists rather than dishonest ones?
Source
Piller, Charles. Picture Imperfect: Scores of papers by Eliezer Masliah, prominent neuroscientist and top NIH official, fall under suspicion. Science: Sept. 26, 2024
Post truth science? At this point no wonder why I prefer a tarot reading than a psychoanalysis session.
It is clearly understood that when there are more sick people in a country the GDP goes up. The pharmaceutical industry is a multi-billion dollar bohemoth that has power beyond my understanding. What I do? Take care of myself, exercise, eat live food, meditate, stretching and deep breathing. Avoid this new age alchemy at all costs (no pun intended) $$$ My experience when I recently went to see the doctor is that he was more of a salesman than anything else. He did not have my best interests in mind and I am my best advocate for my health. There is responsibility that comes with that. I am not passing the buck onto a profit driven industry that wants to rock me on my spiritual heels so I'm dependent on them for their false solutions.