The former director of the Southwest National Primate Research Center at Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio has been removed from the post after the U.S. Office of Research Integrity found he had faked data.
Last August, ORI found that Deepak Kaushal, who remains a professor at Texas Biomed, “engaged in research misconduct by intentionally, knowingly, and/or recklessly falsifying and fabricating the experimental methodology to demonstrate results obtained under different experimental conditions.”
Citing Kaushal’s admission, ORI said that he had engaged in research misconduct in work supported by 8 grants from the National Institutes of Health, and faked data in two grant applications and one published paper that has since been retracted.
As we reported at the time, Texas Biomedical Research Institute vice president for communications Lisa Cruz confirmed that Kaushal remained in his role, saying that “the misconduct finding is not directly related to, and does not impact, his administrative leadership functions.”
Now, Cruz tells us that Kaushal has not been the director of the SNPRC since September 2022. She said, in part:
After the ORI report last year and as part of Dr. Kaushal’s corrective action plan, Texas Biomed and ORI imposed ramifications on Dr. Kaushal, including but not limited to research ethics training and a year of review of all study data produced prior to submission for grant funding/peer-review publication. The Institute named a new director for the SNPRC as Dr. Kaushal completes the corrective action plan, after which the Institute will evaluate SNPRC leadership next steps.
We emailed Kaushal for comment and got an out of office reply.
Last month, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals noted that Kaushal had been removed as director of the SNPRC.
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Politicians lie to us everyday and no one removes them but scientist falsify one data and all hell including the press come after you…….if only same measure is applied across all career, the world will be a better place
Academia needs to be more tolerant of mistakes and errors in data. It’s sad that the academic world seems to be getting more and more desolate.
There’s a massive difference between deliberately falsifying data and making a genuine mistake. This guy intentionally lied to get funding.
This guy did not deliberately falsify the data it was unintentional research miscommunication. But because of politics he was falsely accused
I am not clear on what the point of your comment is. Did this researcher deserve then to not have any corrective actions taken despite their admission of guilt to falsifying research data? Something that researchers KNOW is unacceptable, because politicians also lie?
This has nothing to do with the fact that politicians should also be held accountable for their own lies.
I sympathise with your line of reasoning, but politics is and remains a matter of opinion, lies included. Science is not all opinion – at least until paradigms shift…
Someday you, or someone you love, will get ill. I’d hope you understand that you don’t want your doctors to be relying on falsified studies and fraudulent information when choosing your treatment.
You don’t want engineers to be relying on falsified studies when they build the bridge you’re driving over or the plane you’re flying in, either.
This stuff really matters. The world is a better place if sick people aren’t given worthless treatments and if bridges are built in such a way that they don’t collapse.
Internet search shows that the questioned research, published in 2020 in American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine 201(4):469 and retracted in 2021 in Amer J Respir Crit Care 203(8), was then repeated and monitored by additional scientists, which confirmed these results and were published by a larger group of authors in 2022 in Journal of Clinical Investigation 132(18):e161564, see at: https://www.jci.org/articles/view/161564/pdf
No one cares for the truth. The truth is the research was repeated and same results were obtained. It was monitored by others. The issue was not misconduct but negligence. It was blown out of proportion.
I was deeply troubled to come across your recent article detailing the demotion of a leading primate researcher after admitting to falsifying data. Scientific integrity is paramount, and instances of research misconduct undermine the foundation of trust upon which scientific progress relies.
The revelation that a respected researcher has engaged in such fraudulent practices is disheartening. It is crucial for the scientific community to hold individuals accountable for their actions, ensuring the integrity and credibility of scientific research. Demoting the researcher and imposing consequences for their misconduct sends a strong message that such behavior will not be tolerated.
Instances of data falsification not only undermine the specific research in question but also have broader implications for the scientific field. It is essential for scientists and researchers to adhere to the highest ethical standards, conducting rigorous and honest investigations. Maintaining the integrity of scientific research is vital for building knowledge, informing policies, and advancing our understanding of the world around us.
Fortunately, the field of research has checks and balances in place to detect and address instances of misconduct. Retraction and correction processes, along with vigilant peers and journal editors, play a critical role in identifying fraudulent activities and ensuring the accuracy and reliability of published research.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of fostering a culture of integrity, accountability, and transparency within the scientific community. Researchers must uphold the principles of honesty, objectivity, and intellectual integrity in their work, striving for the highest standards of ethical conduct.
I appreciate Retraction Watch’s dedication to reporting on retractions and research misconduct, shining a light on instances that warrant attention. By highlighting these cases, you contribute to maintaining the integrity of the scientific community and promoting a culture of responsible research.
Thank you for your commitment to transparency and accountability in scientific research. It is through collective efforts that we can safeguard the credibility and impact of scientific discoveries for the betterment of society.
Why did ORI removed Dr. Kaushal’s case summary?
https://ori.hhs.gov/content/case_summary
The Federal Register is the permanent record: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/08/08/2022-16946/findings-of-research-misconduct
Did you see Dr. Kaushal’s name on the page? I did not see.
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-22-197.html
Not sure which page you mean. If you mean the ORI’s cases page, no, his name is no longer there because of the reasons that I quoted from that page in my previous comment. His sanctions have ended, therefore they removed him from that page.