BU professor fabricates data in two published experiments
A cancer researcher and assistant professor at the Boston University School of Medicine Cancer Research Center fabricated data in two papers published in scientific journals, federal authorities announced, according to a report by the Boston Globe.
Sheng Wang, an assistant professor whose research involved molecular biology approaches to understanding cancer, no longer works at BU. Wang has agreed to retract the two papers and will not be eligible for or involved in federally funded research for two years, according to the finding of research misconduct issued by the Office of Research Integrity of the HHS.
The federal authorities found that Wang engaged in research misconduct in projects supported by two federal grants from the National Cancer Institute. According to the federal finding, Wang fabricated experiments used in six out of seven figures in one paper and six out of eight figures in the other. He is listed as the senior author on both papers, which were published in 2009 and explored the role of a gene that suppresses tumor growth.
The sanctions described in the misconduct findings include Wang’s agreement to exclude himself from receiving funds or working for any US government agency for two years. He is also barred from serving on advisory or peer review committees, or as a consultant for the government’s Public Health Service.