University researchers are typically well-respected and trusted individuals,

and as such, are granted a great degree of freedom in their work. Most are
worthy of this trust, but there are plenty of bad apples out there as well,
gladly manipulating research data, funds, and more to beat out competitors
in the cutthroat race for grant money. Theres no denying that research fraud
is alive and well in todays universities: a recent survey from the British
Medical Journalindicates that one in eight UK scientists has witnessed
research fraud. When this fraud is uncovered, its big news, and weve shared
10 incredible cases of fraud in university research here, including several high
profile cases youve probably heard of before. Read on to learn about highly
disturbing cases of fraud at the university level, and consider how you might
carefully protect your own work from the experience of research misconduct.

1.

Psychologist Diederik Stapel

Noted Dutch psychologist Diederik Stapel, of Tillburg University, was found to
have committed academic fraud in several publications. The fraud spans
about a decade of work, including papers on racial stereotyping,
advertisements, and the power of hypocrisy. Stapels work has been
published not just in psychology journals and publications, but also in
worldwide newspapers including The New York Times. Doctoral theses that
Stapel oversaw have also been called into question, with interviews from
former students and colleagues revealing that more than a dozen theses may
no longer be valid, putting not only Stapels reputation, but also former
students degrees at risk. Stapel says of himself, "I have failed as a scientist
and a researcher."

2.

Dr. Anil Pottis Cancer Research

In late 2010, Dr. Anil Potti resigned from his job at Duke University amid
questions of research fraud, and his scandalous story continues to play out in
2012. Before he resigned, it was discovered that Potti exaggerated his
credentials, claiming incorrectly that he was a Rhodes scholar, a discovery
that led to the American Cancer Society suspending hundreds of thousands of
grant dollars that were to be used for Pottis work. Since then, nine of Pottis
papers on individualized treatments for cancer have been retracted, dashing
the hopes of those who would like to believe that this "holy grail of cancer"
research might actually work. Pottis work sounded like a miracle, but his
promise that 80% of patients enrolled in his drug trials would find the right
drug for them proved too good to be true, and some of the patients involved
with Pottis research have filed suit against Duke. Despite these ongoing
allegations of fraud, Potti continues to work in the field of cancer research,
responding to an investigation by 60 Minutes with the comment, "My primary

concern at all times is and will be the care of patients and seeking new ways
to treat cancer."

3.

Plagiarism at KU
Two University of Kansas computer scientists, Mahesh Visvanathan and
Gerald Lushington, were found to have plagiarized major portions of their
research, for which they had published three articles with an international
audience. So much of their work was lifted from other scientists work, that
even "the entire summarizing statement in their presentation had come from
someone elses journal article," a presentation that they had planned to make
at a conference in Sweden, which they ultimately did not make due to
accusations of plagiarism. The two researchers have been working with the
U.S. Office of Research Integrity, which found them to be ignorant and
complacent about plagiarism in their research program at KU. Unlike so many
others involved in research scandals, Visvanathan and Lushington have been
allowed to keep their jobs, but under an agreement with the U.S. Office of
Research Integrity, KU is to carefully monitor the legitimacy of research that
they put out during the next few years.

4.

Andrew Wakefields Vaccine Connection

In 1998, physician Andrew Wakefield published a study in The Lancet,
claiming that his research indicated a connection between autism and the
measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. This research was highly respected and
undermined public confidence in the vaccine, leading to many parents
refusing the shot. Ultimately, this led to increases in the number of cases of
measles and mumps in the U.S. and Europe, with some areas reporting very
dangerous and widespread outbreaks. When faced with an investigation in
2010, it was revealed that Wakefield and his colleagues had altered facts
about the children in their study, and Wakefield had even been paid off by a
lawyer planning to sue the manufacturer of the vaccine. The British General
Medical Council found Wakefield guilty of fraud and misconduct, and his work
is now viewed by the medical and research community as an "elaborate
fraud." Wakefield, however, still defends his research and promises that he
"will not be deterred."

5.

Hwang Woo-suks Stem Cell Research

In 2006, Korean researcher Hwang Woo-suk was found to have fabricated a
series of experiments in stem cell research, a field in which he was once
considered one of the pioneering experts. He was previously infamous for his
two Science journal articles in which he reported success in creating human

embryonic stem cells through cloning, but is now infamous for his massive
case of fraud and scientific misconduct after it was revealed that much of his
stem cell research had been faked. Hwang was charged with embezzlement
and bioethics law violations, for which he was sentenced to a two-year
suspended prison sentence and barred from engaging in stem cell research
by the South Korean government, as well as fired from his position with Seoul
National University. However, Hwang continues to lead research in creating
embryonic stem cell lines from cloned pig embryos, and his lab has been
actively publishing manuscripts on PubMed.

6.

Beng Sezens Research Misconduct

For Beng Sezen at Columbia University, research was just a matter of
manipulation. Over the course of a decade, Sezen held a "massive and
sustained effort" to manipulate and falsify research data, and even created
fictitious people and organizations to back up her data and results. When
investigated by the Office of Research Integrity, Sezen was found guilty of 21
counts of research misconduct, with at least nine papers found to be falsified,
fabricated, plagiarized, or unable to be replicated. It is likely that Columbia
University will revoke her PhD, as reports paint her as a "master of deception"
who would, "defend the integrity of her research results in the face of all
evidence to the contrary." Sezen did not seem to care about the effect her
fraud had on others, as the reports explain that young colleagues of the fake
scientist spent "considerable time attempting to reproduce [Sezens] results"
to no avail, with three students even leaving the program as a result. Her
fraud is believed to be one of the worst ever in the chemistry community.

7.

The Columbia University "Miracle" Study

Just weeks after the September 11th attacks in 2001, the New York
Times reported that Columbia University Medical Center in New York had
discovered a virtual miracle of prayer: infertile women who had the support of
prayer groups were able to become pregnant twice as fast as those who did
not have the same faith-based support. The study was quite reassuring to
those struggling to become pregnant, and was a great glimmer of hope for a
worried nation. However, the study has been called into question, as all three
researchers involved in the study either refuse to comment on their findings,
or have been charged with fraud and conspiracy. The "prayer study" has been
found to have a "bewildering study design" with many errors, and in fact may
have never been conducted at all.

Photoshopping the Benefits of Red Wine

8.

News about the benefits of red wine sounds great to just about everyone, so
researcher Dipak K. Das work indicating longevity for wine drinkers was
welcomed with open arms. However, Das has been charged with widespread
scientific fraud, spanning 26 articles in 11 journals. A report indicated that his
published research articles contained 145 instances of data falsification and
even fabrication, many of which involved cutting and pasting photographic
images and manipulating them without an explicit description of what had
been done. His current grants, totaling nearly $1 million, have been returned
to the federal government, and it seems that Das work in reservatrol
research is over.

More Photoshop Manipulation

9.

Dipak Das isnt the only one using Photoshop to overcome research
roadblocks: gastroenterology researcher Stefano Fiorucci at the University of
Perugia has been indicted for fraud and embezzlement for the same charges.
Fioruccis research manipulation won him about 2 million Euros in grant
funding, but the case against him has, so far, resulted in four paper
retractions as well as nine Expressions of Concern. He has been charged with
embezzlement for using public funds for "research uses" which proved to be
not just unauthorized, but also false. Fioruccis case is believed to be the first
time that embezzlement charges have been brought against a scientist that
has also committed fraud.

10.

Penn States $3 Million Research Fraud

When undergrads plagiarize and falsify research, its unfortunate, but when it
happens at the graduate and professor level, its federal fraud. At Penn State,

professor Craig Grimes has been accused of defrauding the National

Institutes of Health and Advanced Research Projects Agency of federal grant
monies, to the tune of $3 million. Grimes requested grants to study the
measurement of gases in a patients blood, but the money was not spent for
this research. Instead, clinical trials were never performed, and the grant
funds were misappropriated, largely for the personal use of Grimes. Grimes
has been charged with making false statements, money laundering, and
fraud. He faces up to 35 years in prison and a fine of $750,000.