In the latest blow to Harvard's academic reputation, a prominent neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School faces allegations of falsifying data and plagiarizing images in 21 research papers.
Khalid Shah, vice chair of research in the neurosurgery department at Brigham and Women's Hospital, is under scrutiny, adding to the string of academic scandals plaguing the prestigious institution, the Washington Examiner reported.
The accusations against Shah, reported by The Harvard Crimson, assert that he manipulated data and plagiarized images in numerous papers from 2001 to 2023. Elisabeth M. Bik, an expert in data manipulation, provided an analysis suggesting 44 instances of data falsification in Shah's work.
Upon review at the request of The Crimson, Matthew S. Schrag, an assistant professor of neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Mike Rossner, president of Image Data Integrity, said the allegation had merit and that they raised concerns about the papers' integrity.
Images taken from seven papers used by Shah in a 2022 article reportedly were not credited to their original source, as revealed by Bik's analysis. Schrag emphasized that these images weren't merely copied from a vendor catalog but were manipulated, further complicating the situation. He noted, "This is a really unusual sort of thing that I cannot imagine how this happens by accident."
An example cited by Schrag is from a 2001 study where Shah is the primary author. The manipulation in this study, according to Schrag, was likely intended to alter its findings, casting doubt on the credibility of Shah's research.
Shah's case adds to the escalating list of alleged misconduct involving Harvard researchers. The university faced scrutiny following mass plagiarism concerns during the tenure of ousted university President Claudine Gay. All investigations into misconduct have been initiated by external entities.
In a separate development earlier this week, Harvard's chief diversity and inclusion officer, Sherri Ann Charleston, confronted accusations of plagiarism The Washington Free Beacon reported.
An anonymous complaint filed with the school alleged that Charleston plagiarized on at least 40 occasions throughout her academic career, according to the media outlet. The complaint highlighted extensive portions of unattributed content in her 2009 dissertation and revealed a peer-reviewed journal article coauthored with her husband, LaVar Charleston, containing old research presented as new.
Furthermore, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of Harvard's teaching hospitals, is now under scrutiny for data falsification, The Crimson reported. An investigation led to the retraction of six papers and corrections issued for 31 papers authored by four Harvard researchers associated with the institute.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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