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Hisashi Moriguchi, 48, the disgraced medical researcher who falsely claimed last week that he had used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) to transplant cardiac muscle cells in at least six heart disease patients, was fired by the University of Tokyo on Friday.
After the scandal broke last week, the University of Tokyo Hospital said it would investigate the veracity of research claims made by Moriguchi in the past. It said that it had found five of Moriguchi's claims were false, Fuji TV reported.
Moriguchi originally claimed to have performed six transplants between Feb 14 and late September at a U.S. hospital. However, at a press conference in New York last Saturday, he admitted that five of the six were lies.
The university said that Moriguchi had seriously damaged its research credibility.
© Japan Today
6 Comments
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nandakandamanda
Let's hope he gives back all that research money too.
Resurfaced
Actually now he faces two consequences 1) he will be barred from entering the US due to false prior pretenses leading to possible criminal activity. If he is convicted here in Japan. 2) Now he will definitely face prosecution and possible jail time here in Japan. Not to mention barred from all medical practice, fines, embarrassment, and lots more grief. I hope this is a lesson for everyone out there who is thinking about an easy way to make money. In either case, cutting corners and lying never pays out. In the long run being honest and hard dedication always greets success with open arms.
Scrote
I don't think Moriguchi will be prosecuted, unless he has misused grant funds, but his academic career is finished.
Tokyo university acted very quickly here. There was a similar case at our university last year: claims of a breakthrough were made in a published paper, but when challenged to produce the data they came up with the excuse that "the samples have sunk in Tianjin harbour". The guy in that case kept his job, although he has since retired. The big difference is that he was the university president, not a lowly researcher like Moriguchi. The higher-ups are held to different standards than the rest of us.
AiserX
The problem here I strongly suspect is a much more malign underlying problem. I hate to use the NYT as a source for anything but here it goes to see what I mean. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/science/rise-in-scientific-journal-retractions-prompts-calls-for-reform.html?_r=2&
upintheair
I hope he doesn't commit seppuku though. Maybe his family and friends should keep an eye on him. You know. Just in case.
Elbuda Mexicano
This Moriguchi guy is gross! He kept CLOSING his eyes during most of the interviews and his LEGS were bouncing all over the place! I am no CSI, FBI, CIA trained investigator but that BODY LANGUAGE told me, this guy was full of BS! Lies, lies, lies! And that was my gut feeling and now it looks like it was correct, so stupid Moriguchi, BAKA!!