Science Fraud in Swedish Transplantation Biology

Posted by Martin R on September 16, 2010
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A week ago, the Swedish Research Council’s expert panel for the investigation of suspected science fraud delivered its findings regarding Suchitra Holgersson, professor of transplantation biology in the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg. The panel finds Holgersson, who joined the Academy two years ago, guilty of severe science fraud in several cases where she has fabricated data (published i.a. in the Blood journal) and distorted results, and also in that she has forged documents in attempts to mislead the expert panel itself during the investigation.

Professor Holgersson’s own PhD students blew the whistle on her. Being a woman and an immigrant isn’t any easier in science than anywhere else. But among Holgersson’s students, whose work has been compromised by her fabrications, are immigrant women too.

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  1. #1 Nick Williams
    September 16, 2010

    That’ll give SD an excuse to deport all foreign doctors after the election on Sunday, then … :-/

  2. #2 Peter Lund
    September 17, 2010

    I don’t believe Sverigesdemokraterna are that stupid. Our own Dansk Folkeparti (which the SD seem to have copied as much from as possible) certainly aren’t.

    We got our “green card” (jobkortordning) with their votes, for example. Granted, they did delay it for a few years and they wanted (and got) a too high earning requirement in the first iteration but it was still better than nothing. And they did vote for a lowering of the earning requirement later.

    And a temporary lower tax for 3 or 5 years, mainly intended for researchers but (ab)used by football players ;) , was also improved with their votes. The original rules were from 1992 (one of the last things V and K, Venstre and Konservative, did the last time they were in government). According to them you could get by with a 25% tax for 3 years (but without the usual deductions people get here) but if you then stayed for more than 4 years afterwards you would have to pay everything you had saved in taxes!
    That ensured that we only got people here on short-term contracts, which turned out not to be so smart. Another option of 33% tax for 5 years were added in the 2000′s with DF’s votes. And the 4-year payback rule has been gradually lifted (starting with researchers and key “knowledge workers” — but not football players…), also with DF’s votes.

    We also have a much better integration “curriculum” now than we did 10 years ago with much better language training. Also with their votes.

    They occasionally spout some nonsense (for their dumb voters) about the threat English and other languages pose to the Danish language and how all university teaching really ought to be in Danish (and ONLY Danish) — but it’s just for their core voters. The party junta (Pia Kjærsgård, Kristian Thulesen Dahl, Søren Espersen, Peter Skaarup) know that it would be an astonishingly bad in practice.

    I have no reason to believe Sverigesdemokraterna will be much different from DF when they get into parliament. They know that some immigrants are a gift to Sweden and others a burden. Some of them a huge one.

  3. #3 Monado
    September 28, 2010

    Sigh. Fraud in medical research can kill people. Just look at Andrew Wakefield’s fraud.

  4. #4 Karl
    October 14, 2010

    The note in the text that she is an immigrant and woman is totally irrelevant, and unfortunately something that people like this woman tries to hide behind. On the contrary, there is a tendency to promote this category of researchers. Every single committee tries to get more women into the committees. Not because they should be better but because of the fact that political reasons they need to be balanced men:women, or at least not more men. Of course, there are also native Swedes who cheat, but all in all this is quite rare in science. You can read the investigation on the VR web page http://www.vr.se/download/18.6e3f84f912af3e345e78000410/Utl%C3%A5tande_S+Holgersson_dnr312-2008-7820+100910.pdf If you don’t understand Swedish, paste it into translate.google.com . It is quite clear from this report that the accusations are true and substantial

  5. #5 dr prem raj pushpakaran
    October 28, 2010

    Suchitra Holgersson has brought disgrace to the scientific community. Woman, though weaker section of the society need to be cautious when venture into a professional career like research. Monetary benefits and Academic fame may provoke many people like her to perform this kind of unethical act.

  6. #6 Martin R
    October 28, 2010

    Haha, Dr. Pushpakaran, your perspective on women in academia certainly offers a blast from the past!

  7. #7 shiv kumar
    November 7, 2010

    Suchitra’s christian boss & hubby are also to be blamed.

  8. #8 muhammed anaul kabeer
    November 17, 2010

    There is an increase in scientific misconduct from women side since 10 years. Ms. Suchithra should be sent to prison.

    muhammed anaul kabeer

  9. #9 Martin R
    November 26, 2010

    Mr. Kabeer, where has that increase been documented? Reference?

  10. #10 ratinakumar
    December 5, 2010

    There are many incidences of scientific misconduct happening in India.

    http://www.scientificvalues.org/cases.html

  11. #11 prof. prem raj p
    December 14, 2010

    World’s leading temple of learning, Harvard University, USA, also, was in news recently in reporting scientific misconduct committed by a leading professor, Marc Hauser.
    Please read more on it at this weblink: http://harvardmagazine.com/2010/11/scientific-misconduct-and-its-aftermath.

  13. #13 Velez18Abby
    April 19, 2012

    I received 1 st mortgage loans when I was very young and this aided my family very much. However, I need the student loan also.