An Ohio State University cancer researcher resigned following findings of misconduct, Science reports. A committee established by the university found that the researcher, Ching-Shih Chen, falsified images and fabricated data in eight papers, it adds.
Allegations of misconduct arose in 2016 after the Ohio State University Office of Research received an anonymous complaint that noted irregularities in figures in six papers, according to the university's report. In its investigation, the committee uncovered additional instance of misconduct. It also found that Chen lab members sometimes did not keep lab notebooks and only provided weekly updates about their experiments.
Science notes that OSU hired the Weinberg Group to assess whether a compound described in Chen's work and licensed to Arno Therapeutics was affected by the misconduct. The firm reports there was a limited effect and that "the suspended OSU‐15004 may be resumed without any risk to patients associated with the removed publications." Science adds that Arno announced late last year that it was disbanding, and that the company says that decision was unrelated.
OSU has also called on Chen to retract the eight affected papers and correct an additional three.