Gerald Schatten of the University of Pittsburgh, senior author of a now retracted stem cell paper in the journal Science, has cited for "scientific misbehavior" by an ethics panel at the University according to media reports today.
At issue was his endorsement of the paper as senior author, without fulfilling the duties of that honor by verifying the accuracy of the research. The panel also took issue with his shifting accounts of his responsibilities. According to the New York Times:
"He told the Pittsburgh panel that he had written most of the text of the 2005 paper. Three weeks later, he told Seoul National University that he had not written the paper, the panel said."
In other news of the investigation in Korea, Science reported that about 2,221 eggs were used from 119 women, not 427, as the paper initially reported. Science covered more issues with the research this week in "Investigations Document Still More Problems for Stem Cell Researchers."(311: 5762 p. 754). Korean researchers have requested that Schatten travel to Korea according to the article. Schatten remains silent.
