Harvard-Affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Retracts Six Papers, Corrects 31 Amid Data Manipulation Claims

Allegations by molecular biologist Sholto David prompt action on 37 of 38 papers flagged for potential data errors, with further investigations ongoing.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, is retracting six papers and correcting 31 others following allegations of data manipulation.
The allegations were made by molecular biologist Sholto David, who flagged potential errors in 57 papers authored by four senior researchers, including the Institute's CEO and COO.
The Institute's Research Integrity Officer, Barrett J. Rollins, stated that while discrepancies were found in some papers, this does not necessarily indicate an intent to deceive, and errors are often unintentional.
Of the 57 papers flagged, 38 were found to have potential data errors for which the Institute's researchers were primarily responsible. Action has been taken on 37 of these, with one still under review.
16 of the flagged papers are still under investigation as the data was collected in labs not associated with the four researchers under scrutiny.