BU cancer researcher fabricated data

Sheng Wang, a former assistant professor and cancer researcher at the Boston University School of Medicine’s Cancer Center, fabricated data in two papers published in scientific journals, according to a report published Tuesday by the Boston Globe.

Federal authorities found that Wang practiced “research misconduct” in projects that were funded by two federal grants from the National Cancer Institute, the Globe reported.

In one paper, Wang made up experiments that were used in six of the seven figures. In another paper, he used falsified information in six out of eight experiments. The research allegedly studied the role of a gene that suppresses tumor growth.

Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Research Integrity decided that Wang had fabricated information after BU initiated an internal review, Maria Pantages Ober, a spokeswoman for the BU Medical Campus, said.

According to a BUMC statement, the review process began “in accordance with institutional policy and federal regulations.”

Wang, who left BU July 15, is retracting his two papers, according to the statement. He will not be eligible for any federally funded research for at least two years, as part of the consequences set by the ORI.

He is also prohibited from serving on peer review committees and consulting for the government’s public health service. These restrictions took effect July 18.