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[h=2]Foreign talent who used to work in NUS is a fraud[/h]
December 20th, 2012 |
Author: Editorial
Dr Alirio Melendez
A “renowned” foreign talent, Venezuela-born Dr Alirio Melendez, who used to work in NUS, has been found to fake his research.
The academic professor was suspended by the University of Liverpool last year and he subsequently resigned from the university.
Melendez is said to be a “renowned” immunization and infection expert.
The University of Liverpool started investigating Melendez last year when it received an anonymous email alleging fraud in some published papers authored by Melendez and a team of collaborators. Melendez, who was employed by the university a year earlier in 2010, is alleged to have manipulated data or copied from other work before publishing his papers in a number of scientific journals. University of Liverpool said that the allegations were related to research he carried out before he joined the university.
Before Liverpool, Melendez worked in NUS for some 9 years from 2001 to 2009.
NUS said it has also launched its own investigations into Melendez last year after a “tip-off”. As part of its probe, NUS said that it examined some 70 publications authored by Melendez when he was with NUS.
The authorship list for Melendez’s publications reads almost like a Who’s Who in the medical school, and includes heads of departments, Vice Deans and prominent individuals in the office of the NUS Vice President. Interestingly, Prof Barry Halliwell, who is NUS Deputy President (Research and Technology), and was supposed to be the person enforcing NUS’ research integrity code, is himself associated with at least 2 Melendez’s publications.
NUS’ investigations showed that 21 of Melendez’s papers are fraudulent, amounting to almost one-third of the work produced by Melendez in NUS. However, NUS said that no evidence was uncovered to suggest scientific misconduct by any of the 27 co-authors of Melendez’s publications, including Prof Barry Halliwell.
Prof Halliwell said, “NUS always takes conflict of interest issues very seriously. The panel conducting this enquiry is completely independent and I am not involved. They are aware of these papers (co-authored by Prof Halliwell), which were identified at the start of the enquiry.”
It is believed that this is the worst case of scientific fraud uncovered in Singapore.
“He has put at serious risk the reputations of the university and many of his co-authors,” said the university’s deputy president (academic affairs) and provost, Professor Tan Eng Chye.
All the journals in question were given a detailed report of the findings by NUS this week. Already, five papers have been retracted.
In any case, PM Lee has urged Singaporeans to welcome foreigners into our society with an “open heart”.
He said, “Let us welcome them with an open heart, help them to fit in and encourage those who will become citizens to strike roots here. If we do this well, by the next generation, their children will be native Singaporeans. Remember, we ourselves are descendants of immigrants too. With new arrivals living and working harmoniously with those born here, we will keep Singapore dynamic, cosmopolitan, and successful.”
.
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A “renowned” foreign talent, Venezuela-born Dr Alirio Melendez, who used to work in NUS, has been found to fake his research.
The academic professor was suspended by the University of Liverpool last year and he subsequently resigned from the university.
Melendez is said to be a “renowned” immunization and infection expert.
The University of Liverpool started investigating Melendez last year when it received an anonymous email alleging fraud in some published papers authored by Melendez and a team of collaborators. Melendez, who was employed by the university a year earlier in 2010, is alleged to have manipulated data or copied from other work before publishing his papers in a number of scientific journals. University of Liverpool said that the allegations were related to research he carried out before he joined the university.
Before Liverpool, Melendez worked in NUS for some 9 years from 2001 to 2009.
NUS said it has also launched its own investigations into Melendez last year after a “tip-off”. As part of its probe, NUS said that it examined some 70 publications authored by Melendez when he was with NUS.
The authorship list for Melendez’s publications reads almost like a Who’s Who in the medical school, and includes heads of departments, Vice Deans and prominent individuals in the office of the NUS Vice President. Interestingly, Prof Barry Halliwell, who is NUS Deputy President (Research and Technology), and was supposed to be the person enforcing NUS’ research integrity code, is himself associated with at least 2 Melendez’s publications.
NUS’ investigations showed that 21 of Melendez’s papers are fraudulent, amounting to almost one-third of the work produced by Melendez in NUS. However, NUS said that no evidence was uncovered to suggest scientific misconduct by any of the 27 co-authors of Melendez’s publications, including Prof Barry Halliwell.
Prof Halliwell said, “NUS always takes conflict of interest issues very seriously. The panel conducting this enquiry is completely independent and I am not involved. They are aware of these papers (co-authored by Prof Halliwell), which were identified at the start of the enquiry.”
It is believed that this is the worst case of scientific fraud uncovered in Singapore.
“He has put at serious risk the reputations of the university and many of his co-authors,” said the university’s deputy president (academic affairs) and provost, Professor Tan Eng Chye.
All the journals in question were given a detailed report of the findings by NUS this week. Already, five papers have been retracted.
In any case, PM Lee has urged Singaporeans to welcome foreigners into our society with an “open heart”.
He said, “Let us welcome them with an open heart, help them to fit in and encourage those who will become citizens to strike roots here. If we do this well, by the next generation, their children will be native Singaporeans. Remember, we ourselves are descendants of immigrants too. With new arrivals living and working harmoniously with those born here, we will keep Singapore dynamic, cosmopolitan, and successful.”
.
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