Amid trade wars, the U.S. waged another battle with China this year over intellectual property being developed at major medical centers and research institutions.
In November, The New York Times reported the NIH and FBI were investigating 180 individual cases of alleged theft of biomedical research funded by the U.S. government. The cases primarily involved Chinese or Chinese American researchers, and they spanned 71 major medical centers and research institutions. At least a dozen scientists were fired or resigned at the time of The New York Times report. Read more on the report here.
Becker's covered the stories of 10 researchers and leaders who left academic medical jobs in 2019:
1. Moffitt Cancer Center CEO, center director step down; conflicts of interest cited
Tampa, Fla.-based H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute on Dec. 18 accepted the resignations of President and CEO Alan F. List, MD, and Thomas Sellers, an executive vice president and center director at Moffitt.
2. Former Nationwide Children's Hospital researchers charged with stealing trade secrets
A couple who previously worked in medical research labs at Columbus, Ohio-based Nationwide Children's Hospital's Research Institute were accused in September of stealing scientific trade secrets for their own financial gain, according to the Department of Justice.
3. UC San Diego physician resigns amid scrutiny over ties to China
Kang Zhang, MD, PhD, an ophthalmologist and the former chief of UC San Diego's Shiley Eye Institute, resigned this summer after a report alleged he did not disclose conflicts of interest in China, according to inewsource, an independent investigative news outlet covering San Diego.
4. 2 Emory scientists out for ties to China
Two unnamed faculty researchers left their roles at Atlanta-based Emory University for foreign ties, according to Georgia Health News, a state-based healthcare news publication reported in May.
5. MD Anderson ousts 3 researchers over Chinese data theft concerns
In April, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston moved to fire three scientists accused of sharing important research findings and data with China, according to The Houston Chronicle.
This is not an exhaustive list.
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