{"id":15265,"date":"2012-01-11T14:57:34","date_gmt":"2012-01-11T19:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/cardioexchange\/?post_type=news&p=15265"},"modified":"2012-01-11T14:57:34","modified_gmt":"2012-01-11T19:57:34","slug":"director-of-uconn-cv-research-center-accused-of-scientific-misconduct","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/cardioexchange\/2012\/01\/11\/director-of-uconn-cv-research-center-accused-of-scientific-misconduct\/","title":{"rendered":"Director of UConn CV Research Center Accused of Scientific Misconduct"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Following an extensive investigation, Dipak Das,\u00a0a professor in the Department of Surgery and director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center, has been accused of serious scientific misconduct. UConn has informed 11 scientific journals about the investigation.<\/p>\n

Das had numerous publications on resveratrol and other nutrition-related cardiovascular subjects. According to an online biography<\/a>, he was a founding editor and\u00a0editor-in chief of the journal Antioxidant and Redox Signaling<\/em>, and also served as associate editor of the American Journal of Physiology: Heat and Circulatory Physiology<\/em> and consulting editor of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The news was announced by the UConn Health Center<\/a>\u00a0and has been reported by Retraction Watch<\/a>, the Associated Press<\/a>, \u00a0and the Connecticut <\/a>Mirror<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The University said the investigation had been sparked by an anonymous allegation of research irregularities in 2008, resulting in a 60,000 page report that found Das guilty of 145 counts\u00a0of fabrication and falsification of data. UConn said it worked closely with the U.S. Office of Research Integrity during the investigation.\u00a0UConn is now preparing to dismiss Das.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we are deeply disappointed by the flagrant disregard for the University\u2019s Code of Conduct, we are pleased the oversight systems in place were effective and worked as intended,\u201d \u00a0said Philip Austin, interim vice president for health affairs at UConn.\u00a0\u201cWe are grateful that an individual chose to do the right thing by alerting the appropriate authorities. Our findings were the result of an exhaustive investigation that, by its very nature, required considerable time to complete.”<\/p>\n

Retraction Watch<\/a>\u00a0reported further details about Das, including the following:<\/p>\n

Das appears to have had a relationship with a Las Vegas resveratrol maker called, unsurprisingly, Longevinex. The company\u00a0has promoted his research<\/a>, and Das also shows up in a\u00a0lengthy video<\/a>\u00a0touting the nutrient as the next aspirin. The infomercial is guided by an \u201cinvestigative reporter\u201d named Gailon Totheroh, who is affiliated with the\u00a0Christian Broadcasting Network<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here is the list of journals notified by UConn:<\/p>\n