Dipak Kumar Das (1947 – September 19, 2013)[1] was the director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington and is known for research fraud. His work centered on the beneficial properties of resveratrol, which is found in red wine,[2] but over twenty of his research papers have been since retracted.[3][4][5]

On January 11, 2012, the University of Connecticut Health Center announced that a review board has found Das guilty of 145 counts of fabrication or falsification of data; the three-year investigation examined more than seven years of activity in Das's lab, and centered on Western blot results that had been manipulated and used in published papers.[4][5][6][7] In May 2012, Das was fired from both positions at the University of Connecticut Health Center.[8]

Biography

Das graduated from Jadavpur University[9] and received his Ph.D. from Calcutta University in India.[10] He joined the University of Connecticut in 1984 and received tenure in 1993.[11]

Das was a prolific publisher of research. His name appears on over 500 articles, including 117 articles on resveratrol.[12][13] Das was an editor-in-chief of the journal Antioxidants and Redox Signaling.[14] He also served as associate editor of the American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology and consulting editor of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry.[15][16] His work on alcohol, HDL, and the heart was mentioned in The New York Times.[17] He also gained attention in 2009 after publishing a study on the heart benefits of crushed garlic.[18]

Data falsification investigation

Data fabrication by Das was alleged by a university investigation committee to have begun in 2005, when "there was no one in the lab with the expertise to prepare Western blots."[4] Regarding Das' falsification of figures in his published works, in explicitly identifying 145 such cases the investigation committee reported that "many figures had more manipulations but, for expediency, the review board only noted the most obvious."[13] The investigation report further stated that "given the large number of irregularities discovered, which were done over several years and in several different ways, the review board can only conclude that they were the result of intentional acts of data falsification and fabrication, designed to deceive."[19] The university notified 11 scientific journals that published papers authored by Das,[20] and the U.S. Office of Research Integrity launched an independent investigation of his work.[11]

In January 2012, University of Connecticut officials reported that dismissal proceedings were underway against Das.[11] The Health Center terminated all research in Das's laboratory and declined federal research grants awarded to him.[20] Following Das' dismissal, the Hartford Courant in 2013 reported that Das intended to file a $35 million defamation lawsuit against UConn.[21]

As of 2021, Das has had 22 of his research publications retracted.[22][23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Dipak Kumar Das". Hartford Courant. September 19, 2013. Obituaries. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  2. ↑ Das, Dipak (February 25, 2010). "Resveratrol May Replace Aspirin As Heart Protector" (Press release). PRNewswire.
  3. ↑ "Late resveratrol researcher Dipak Das up to 20 retractions". Retraction Watch. 27 March 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 Weir, William; Megan, Kathleen (January 11, 2012). "Investigation finds UConn professor fabricated research - work focused on resveratrol, chemical in red wine". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on 2012-01-31.
  5. 1 2 Becker, Arielle Levin (January 11, 2012). "UConn Health Center says professor falsified data". The Connecticut Mirror.
  6. ↑ Bartlett, Tom (January 11, 2012). "UConn investigation finds that health researcher fabricated data". The Chronicle of Higher Education.
  7. ↑ Park, Alice (January 12, 2012). "Great science frauds - Dipak Das". Time.
  8. ↑ Weir, William (June 19, 2012). "UConn researcher accused of faking research fights termination". Hartford Courant.
  9. ↑ "Wine research fraud slur on JU alumnus". The Telegraph. Calcutta. January 13, 2012. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Graduate Catalog: Grad Faculty". University of Connecticut. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 "Red wine researcher flagged for fake data". CBS News. Associated Press. January 11, 2012.
  12. ↑ Wade, Nicholas (January 11, 2012). "University suspects fraud by a researcher who studied red wine". The New York Times. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  13. 1 2 Jaslow, Ryan (January 12, 2012). "Red wine researcher Dr. Dipak K. Das published fake data: UConn". CBS. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  14. ↑ Oransky, Ivan (January 12, 2012). "Red wine-heart research slammed with fraud charges". Chicago Tribune. Reuters. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Das biography" (PDF). Functional Foods Center.
  16. ↑ "NHRI Scientific Advisory Board". Natural Health Research Institute. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Activities & Achievements: Newsmakers". Advance. University of Connecticut. February 18, 2003.
  18. ↑ Reitz, Stephanie (January 11, 2012). "UConn says heart researcher falsified findings". The Boston Globe. Associated Press.
  19. ↑ Lowes, Robert. "Red-Wine Researcher Charged With 'Photoshop' Fraud". Medscape. (registration required)
  20. 1 2 DeFrancesco, Chris (January 11, 2012). "Scientific journals notified following research misconduct investigation". UConn Today. University of Connecticut.
  21. ↑ Wier, William (January 25, 2013). "Discredited scientist plans to sue UConn for libel". The Hartford Courant.
  22. ↑ Marcus, Adam (5 October 2021). "Retraction of review of broccoli's health benefits is 22nd for deceased author, 5th for one of his postdocs". Retraction Watch. Center for Scientific Integrity. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  23. ↑ "Retraction Watch Database". Retraction Watch. Center for Scientific Integrity. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
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