Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne announced his resignation effective August 31st, following an independent review of several scientific papers he authored. The review, prompted by allegations of research misconduct, uncovered "serious flaws" in five papers where Tessier-Lavigne was the primary author. While the review cleared him of misconduct, it highlighted errors made by his research teams. Tessier-Lavigne acknowledged that he should have been more diligent in correcting these errors and implementing stronger lab controls.
The independent panel examined twelve papers and found several instances of manipulated data. However, they concluded that Tessier-Lavigne was not directly responsible. They noted "serious flaws in the presentation of research data," with at least four papers containing data manipulated by others. A key focus of the review was a 2009 Nature paper on neurodegeneration, potentially relevant to Alzheimer's research. The panel found no evidence of fraud, but identified issues with rigor and data presentation. Dr. Matthew Schrag, whose concerns initiated the review, expressed appreciation for the report's thoroughness and stressed the importance of addressing research integrity lapses.
In his resignation letter, Tessier-Lavigne admitted awareness of problems in four of the five papers and acknowledged insufficient action to correct them. He plans to retract three papers and correct two. Allegations initially surfaced on PubPeer, a platform for scientific discussion, and were subsequently investigated by The Stanford Daily. The student newspaper's investigations editor emphasized the significance of correcting the scientific record. Science Family of Journals editor-in-chief Holden Thorp commented on the shared responsibility in research labs but emphasized the accountability of leadership.
Tessier-Lavigne stated his resignation was due to the anticipated ongoing debate about his leadership. He will remain at Stanford as a biology professor and continue his research. Richard Saller has been appointed interim president, effective September 1st. Board chair Jerry Yang praised Tessier-Lavigne's contributions to the university, including the establishment of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.
