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Red wine researcher falsified data: University

Written by: QMI Agency
Jan. 12, 2012

The University of Connecticut said researcher Dipak K. Das, who studied the link between aging and a substance found in red wine has committed more than 100 acts of data fabrication and falsification, the university said on Jan. 11, 2012, throwing much of his work into doubt. REUTERS/University of Connecticut/Peter Morenus/Handout

A researcher known for his work on the health benefits of red wine is being accused of falsifying loads of data and will be fired from his tenured position.

Dr. Dipak K. Das was at the centre of a three-year research misconduct investigation by the University of Connecticut Health Center, where he is a professor.

The university is notifying 11 scientific journals that have published Das's studies after its investigation concluded, in a 60,000-page report, that he fabricated or falsified data on 145 occasions over seven years.

"We have a responsibility to correct the scientific record and inform peer researchers across the country," said spokesperson Philip Austin in a news release.

Das gained attention for his research into the beneficial properties of resveratrol, a compound found in the skin of red grapes, thought to be the active ingredient in red wine that helps protect against heart disease. He has been employed at the university since 1984 and was awarded tenure in 1993.

UConn said it launched the probe after receiving an anonymous complaint in 2008 of research "irregularities".

It did not specify which studies were implicated.

The university said it has frozen all externally funded research in his lab and declined $890,000 in federal grants awarded to him. It has also begun dismissal proceedings.

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