The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced that one of its leading neuroscientists, Dr. Eliezer Masliah, has been implicated in research misconduct. This misconduct, uncovered during an NIH investigation, pertains to images featured in two research studies that Dr. Masliah co-authored. The images, or “figure panels,” allegedly misrepresented different experimental findings as they were either reused or relabeled in the published studies.
Dr. Masliah, who assumed the role of neuroscience division director at the NIH’s National Institute on Aging in 2016, is renowned for his research on synaptic damage in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Throughout his career, he has made significant contributions to scientific literature, both during his tenure at the NIH and in his previous position as a researcher at the University of California, San Diego.
The NIH’s investigation into the allegations of research misconduct began last year and was officially reported to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Research Integrity on September 15th. While the agency did not specify the exact nature of the repercussions for Dr. Masliah, it was mentioned that he is not presently serving as the neuroscience division director at the NIH.
In response to the revelations about Dr. Masliah’s research conduct, the NIH intends to inform the two scientific journals involved in the publications to take necessary actions. Furthermore, this incident comes to light following a report by the journal Science, which highlighted questionable images in over 100 research papers published between 1997 and 2023, many of which were co-authored by Dr. Masliah. Some of these studies were pivotal in the early stages of developing potential treatments for various conditions.
Dr. Masliah has refrained from responding to requests for comments regarding the NIH’s findings. As this situation unfolds, it underscores the significance of upholding research integrity and the credibility of scientific publications.