◇◇新语丝(www.xys.org)(xys5.dxiong.com)(www.xinyusi.info)(xys2.dropin.org)◇◇

“千人计划”入选者王志国因造假被加拿大蒙特利尔心脏病研究所关闭实验室

“千人计划”入选者、加拿大蒙特利尔心脏病研究所兼蒙特利尔大学教授王志国
因为论文造假，被蒙特利尔心脏病研究所关闭实验室。他发表的两篇与中国工程
院院士、哈尔滨医科大学教授杨宝峰课题组合作的论文已因造假撤稿，还有3篇
论文被要求撤稿。

Canadian Press

Date: Friday Sep. 2, 2011 6:50 PM ET

MONTREAL — A Montreal hospital has dismissed a renowned cardiac 
researcher over allegations of scientific misconduct, a case that 
could throw medical studies based on his work into doubt.

The Montreal Heart Institute revoked Zhiguo Wang's research privileges 
Friday and shuttered his laboratory -- for good.

The hospital says it launched an investigation earlier this summer 
after Wang, who has received millions in federal grants since 1999, 
alerted the institution that he voluntarily retracted two of his 
articles from scientific journals.

The institute's research director alleges an independent body of 
investigators concluded Wang's work did not meet its standards for 
scientific conduct.

"It's very serious," Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif told a news conference 
Friday at the hospital.

"The reason this is important is that research, like a lot of other 
things nowadays, is global.

"We need to be absolutely certain that the results that are published 
and shared with the rest of the scientific community around the world 
are indeed exact and respect our highest scientific principles."

Tardif said the primary results and conclusions in the studies are 
still valid, despite the alleged abnormalities in Wang's research. He 
added that most of the findings in the research have been duplicated 
in the works of other scientists.

Still, he said the hospital had concerns with how images used in the 
research were manipulated -- and that it must enforce strict 
scientific standards.

Wang did not immediately respond to interview requests on Friday.

Both studies in question were published in different editions of the 
Journal of Biological Chemistry -- one in 2007 and the other in 2008.

One paper was partially funded with federal cash through the Canadian 
Institutes of Health Research, while the other received financial 
support from the Canadian Diabetes Association.

The chair of the Canadian Diabetes Association's national research 
council warned that scientists who have since cited Wang's research 
might have to recheck their findings.

"People have to go back now and look at their work and see if it was 
based on something in that paper that wasn't correct," Dr. Bruce 
Verchere said Friday in an interview.

Wang, an award-winning researcher, is no longer eligible to apply for 
grants from Verchere's association, which has provided more than 
$300,000 for his work since 2003.

"It's a shock for us ... because it's donor funds and it's hard to get 
funds," said Verchere, who doubts his organization will be able to 
recoup the money.

"We want to fund the best research -- the research that's going to 
help find a cure, and if the money's not being put to that, it could 
have been put to other excellent research."

The Canadian Diabetes Association isn't the only group that lost its 
investment.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research said it has granted Wang a 
total of $4.2 million since 1999, though it did not reveal how much 
was supplied for the now-retracted study.

The allegations first made news headlines last month when the Journal 
of Biological Chemistry listed the titles of the previously published 
articles, but this time with the following statement: "This article 
has been withdrawn by the authors."

Tardif, who estimated that tens of thousands have likely read the 
papers in question, said the hospital's investigation has also 
prompted recommendations that three more of Wang's published articles 
be retracted.

He said allegations of scientific misconduct have surfaced elsewhere 
in Canada and internationally, but noted this was a first in the 
hospital's nearly 60-year history.

Tardif also stressed that Wang, who is not a physician, worked behind 
a microscope and never had contact with patients or their medications.

Wang, who won a pair of prestigious awards in China in 2009 for 
cardiovascular disease research, is also a professor in the faculty of 
medicine at Universite de Montreal.

He led a team of researchers at the hospital who studied cardiac 
arrhythmias -- the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat.

Tardif said Wang published many scientific articles in high-profile 
journals while working at the Montreal Heart Institute for close to 20 
years.

"So, he has certainly contributed in a significant way over the last 
two decades with his scientific work and (he) has given scientific 
talks in important scientific sessions around the world," he said.

(XYS20110903)

◇◇新语丝(www.xys.org)(xys5.dxiong.com)(www.xinyusi.info)(xys2.dropin.org)◇◇