The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that an investigation has uncovered research misconduct by one of its leading neuroscientists, Dr. Eliezer Masliah, The Associated Press reports.
The investigation focused on images used in two research papers co-authored by Dr. Masliah, who joined the NIH’s National Institute on Aging in 2016 as the neuroscience division director.
The NIH investigation found that images or “figure panels” representing different experimental results were reused or mislabeled in the publications. The agency will notify the two journals involved, allowing them to take appropriate action.
Dr. Masliah is a renowned researcher specializing in the damage to synapses – the junctions where brain cells communicate – in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. He has authored numerous scientific papers during his time at the NIH and previously at the University of California, San Diego.
The NIH initiated its investigation last year and reported its findings to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Research Integrity on September 15. Dr. Masliah is currently not serving as the neuroscience division director, a position overseeing a vast range of research projects funded by the aging institute.
Dr. Masliah has not responded to requests for comment.
This news follows a recent article published in the journal Science outlining allegations of questionable images in over 100 research papers co-authored by Dr. Masliah, spanning from 1997 to 2023. These papers included some that played a role in the early development of potential medications.
