Major U.S. cancer center ousts ‘Asian’ researchers after NIH flags foreign ties

HOUSTON, TEXAS—The MD Anderson Cancer Center here has ousted three senior researchers after the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, informed it that the scientists had committed potentially “serious” violations of agency rules involving confidentiality of peer review and the disclosure of foreign ties. The researchers are among five MD Anderson scientists that NIH cited in letters to the cancer center, which is part of the University of Texas (UT) system. Although MD Anderson officials say NIH’s recent letters prompted its actions, the internal documents make it clear that federal law enforcement agents have been examining and interviewing researchers at the prestigious institution since at least December 2017.

Source: www.sciencemag.org