Tessier-Lavigne research under investigation for scientific misconduct - Printable Version
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RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - 82lsju - 12-05-2022
Quote:Conflict of interest leads member of special committee investigating Stanford president to step aside
...
Felix Baker, the only trustee who was appointed to the committee with a bioscience background, will no longer be a member of the committee. This comes after The Daily discovered that Baker’s investment firm, co-founded by him and his brother, maintains an $18 million stake in Denali Therapeutics, a biotechnology company co-founded by Tessier-Lavigne. Now serving on its board of directors and as a scientific advisor, Tessier-Lavigne maintains more than $50 million of stock in Denali.
The Daily contacted Baker on Saturday via email requesting comment on the conflict of interest that could be posed by his stake in Tessier-Lavigne’s company. The Daily also sought comment from the University, which did not respond.
Aidan Ryan, who works at the world’s largest public relations firm Edelman, responded on behalf of the board Sunday afternoon, stating Baker removed himself from the committee “to avoid any questions of potential conflicts.”
https://stanforddaily.com/2022/12/05/conflict-of-interest-leads-member-of-special-committee-investigating-stanford-president-to-step-aside/
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - 81alum - 12-05-2022
What is interesting about this is that the Trustee agreed to serve and did not step aside until after he was contacted by the Daily about his conflict of interest. Someone who was cognizant of ethics and held very large investments with MTL's company would never have agreed to serve in the first place.
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - dabigv13 - 12-05-2022
Looks like a whitewash. Impossible for him to remain as president without seriously harming the reputation of the institution. If he cared about Stanford he would resign.
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - TrumpCard - 12-05-2022
Difficult to judge at this early stage. The conflict could have been disclosed internally. People close to MTL could have been selected because the ultimate outcome is likely to be termination and the committee wants insulation from legal claims. There’s almost always more than meets the eye, and outsiders can only guess as to the content of internal deliberations.
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - dabigv13 - 12-05-2022
I'm very skeptical of that. Doubtful that it was disclosed internally if some questions from the Daily got the guy off the committee.
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - msqueri - 12-05-2022
Not following the details as closely as some but my basic impression is that this adds to a long, long, long list of disillusioning data points that Stanford isn't the good guy we pretend we are. Just dismaying to see how often corruption and other vices rear their ugly head.
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - Jamesy - 12-05-2022
(12-05-2022, 10:10 AM)msqueri Wrote: Not following the details as closely as some but my basic impression is that this adds to a long, long, long list of disillusioning data points that Stanford isn't the good guy we pretend we are. Just dismaying to see how often corruption and other vices rear their ugly head.
Just look at how Stanford almost completely suppressed the Dan Garza scandal nearly ten years ago.
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - WindyCityCard - 12-05-2022
(12-05-2022, 09:09 AM)81alum Wrote: What is interesting about this is that the Trustee agreed to serve and did not step aside until after he was contacted by the Daily about his conflict of interest. Someone who was cognizant of ethics and held very large investments with MTL's company would never have agreed to serve in the first place.
+1
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - BostonCard - 12-05-2022
I’m wondering whether Denali should be conducting an investigation as well.
I don’t know that it is accurate to call him a Denali founder, though. Denali was founded in 2013; Tessier-Lavigne had been president of Rockefeller for two years.
His Denali bio mentions that Tessier-Levine has co-founded two startups, but does not mention any role as a cofounder at Denali.
BC
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - 82lsju - 12-05-2022
(12-05-2022, 11:39 AM)Jamesy Wrote:(12-05-2022, 10:10 AM)msqueri Wrote: Not following the details as closely as some but my basic impression is that this adds to a long, long, long list of disillusioning data points that Stanford isn't the good guy we pretend we are. Just dismaying to see how often corruption and other vices rear their ugly head.
Just look at how Stanford almost completely suppressed the Dan Garza scandal nearly ten years ago.
more on Garza
https://stanforddaily.com/2014/02/20/late-stanford-professor-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-with-former-students/
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - OutsiderFan - 12-05-2022
(12-05-2022, 10:10 AM)msqueri Wrote: Not following the details as closely as some but my basic impression is that this adds to a long, long, long list of disillusioning data points that Stanford isn't the good guy we pretend we are. Just dismaying to see how often corruption and other vices rear their ugly head.
Denying admission to athletes who aren't elite in classrooms designed to create cogs in a machine, to create the illusion of moral superiority, while being corrupt and unethical, is the Stanford way.
WTF do you expect with a school founded by a Robber Barron?
I personally have never bought into the Stanford superiority ruse. There are no doubt very bright and accomplished people at Stanford, but it also produces some very shady people.
Perish the thought that High School kids who only get a 3.0 average while excelling in athletics, actually be given the opportunity to get a Stanford education.
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - M T - 12-05-2022
(12-05-2022, 01:49 PM)BostonCard Wrote: I don’t know that it is accurate to call him a Denali founder, though.His Stanford CV lists him as Co-founder of Denali.
Also this from 2016:
Quote:In 2015, Tessier-Lavigne co-founded the South San Francisco-based biotech company Denali Therapeutics to research drug therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. He also earlier co-founded Renovis, a neuroscience start-up that was later acquired. He serves on several non-profit and corporate boards, including the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - 82lsju - 12-05-2022
statement from Marc Tessier-Lavigne
Quote:Three papers being questioned are ones on which I am the senior author: a 1999 Cell paper, and two papers published in Science in 2001. I previously corresponded extensively with the editors at both journals regarding concerns that were raised about multiple images in these papers. In addition, new concerns recently have been raised about another image in one of the Science papers and one in the Cell paper, and I have been in communication with the editors of both journals to determine the appropriate next steps.
In addition to these senior-authorship papers, questions have been raised about other papers on which I am a co-author. The studies that have been flagged were led by various collaborators who were the senior authors on the papers, and the specific images that are being queried are from collaborators’ laboratories.
I want to be clear that I have never submitted a paper without firmly believing that the data were correct and accurately presented. I also want to be clear that I take responsibility for any concerns that arise with respect to any work with which I have been involved. I trust that a thorough examination will fully address the concerns that have been raised and will affirm my commitment to the highest standards of scientific integrity.
In closing, I regret the impact these events are having on the university. I thank you in advance for your patience while I and, separately, the special committee work through the next steps.
https://tessier-lavigne-lab.stanford.edu/letter-faculty-regarding-scientific-papers
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - dabigv13 - 12-05-2022
"I also want to be clear that I take responsibility for any concerns that arise with respect to any work with which I have been involved."
Take responsibility for any concerns? I don't really know what that means.
Taking responsibility to me would mean more than releasing a BS press release with vague denials of wrongdoing. In fact, it doesn't seem he acknowledges anything is wrong, just that he corresponded with some editors about some concerns. No explanation for how so many of his papers, including the senior author ones, ended up with falsified data.
"In closing, I regret the impact these events are having on the university."
Then you should resign!
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - Jamesy - 12-05-2022
(12-05-2022, 02:00 PM)82lsju Wrote:(12-05-2022, 11:39 AM)Jamesy Wrote:(12-05-2022, 10:10 AM)msqueri Wrote: Not following the details as closely as some but my basic impression is that this adds to a long, long, long list of disillusioning data points that Stanford isn't the good guy we pretend we are. Just dismaying to see how often corruption and other vices rear their ugly head.
Just look at how Stanford almost completely suppressed the Dan Garza scandal nearly ten years ago.
more on Garza
https://stanforddaily.com/2014/02/20/late-stanford-professor-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-with-former-students/
The Daily article was based on the KRON4 segment, which was the only follow-up piece that ever came out of what should have been a brobdingnagian scandal. The original KRON4 piece is no longer available either.
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - 82lsju - 12-05-2022
(12-05-2022, 02:51 PM)Jamesy Wrote: The Daily article was based on the KRON4 segment, which was the only follow-up piece that ever came out of what should have been a of immense proportions scandal. The original KRON4 piece is no longer available either.
these?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZAVPFXzjm8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEGiCtrQORQ
some other news items are pretty similar to this one
https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/report-49ers-doc-died-amid-cop-probe
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - Jamesy - 12-05-2022
(12-05-2022, 02:59 PM)82lsju Wrote:(12-05-2022, 02:51 PM)Jamesy Wrote: The Daily article was based on the KRON4 segment, which was the only follow-up piece that ever came out of what should have been a of immense proportions scandal. The original KRON4 piece is no longer available either.
these?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZAVPFXzjm8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEGiCtrQORQ
some other news items are pretty similar to this one
https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/report-49ers-doc-died-amid-cop-probe
Trying to find the news article, http://news.kron4.com/news/exclusive-how-former-49ers-team-doctor-lured-sexually-molested-male-victims-video, but thanks for posting the video links. Truly disturbing stuff.
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - BostonCard - 12-05-2022
I will be blunt and say that if it is shown that the post-doc altered the images and deceived Tessier-Levigne and the journals for the papers where he was the senior author, it is bad, but probably not career ending. If he actively participated or encouraged it, then this was probably not an isolated incident, and there ought to be more examples. Cheaters rarely cheat only a handful of times, and I would be very surprised if there weren't a bunch of other high-profile papers with altered images.
And, regardless of what the University does, you can count on people like Bik to find it. I stand by my original statement:
Quote:The best case scenario (aside from Bik being wrong, which I doubt) is that he was a sloppy supervisor, and the first author (Elke Stein, likely a grad student or post-doc) manipulated the images without Tessier-Levine's knowledge, and that the images were just altered to clean up artifact or other cosmetic changes, and not to change the data. That's still really bad, and warrants a full investigation and if it is held up, some sort of sanction. In the worst case, where he participated in the image manipulation, and it was done to significantly change the findings, it should be career threatening.
BC
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - needle - 12-05-2022
Very opaque statement from MTL that in no way explains how multiple papers of his could have problems. He also doesn’t pledge to cooperate with the special committee.
Disappointed in both his response and the board’s action to appoint someone with a pretty obvious conflict of interest on the investigating panel.
I say either hire/appoint an independent expert to investigate/review the concerns or just say that while what’s in the past is murky, ultimately no conclusions can be drawn given the amount of time that has passed since the papers were submitted.
RE: MTL research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits ‘mistak - M T - 12-05-2022
(12-05-2022, 02:35 PM)dabigv13 Wrote: No explanation for how so many of his papers, including the senior author ones, ended up with falsified data.
You make a big leap there from images that have had some perceived anomalies to branding that as falsified data. Did you read the PubPeer discussions?
In one of the PubPeer comments, Bik links to media accounts about her concerns. To what purpose?
Several of the articles have author comments in response to the current tempest. Obviously, this is all ongoing & nothing is final yet. Most(all?) of the author comments include a claim of responsibility for the figures by whomever produced them. One author's comment indicates the claimed issue is not in their archived final submission and so must have been done at a later publication stage (wow). Another indicates that at the time of publication, it was common practice to cut blots to assemble figures. Another issue was a duplicated image obviously inserted in error, as it didn't match the figure legend.
Give it time to get worked out. Calls for resignation upon hearing claims seem inappropriate.