Concerns Arise Over Research Misconduct in Columbia University Cancer Surgery Division
This week, a significant development occurred in the realm of cancer research as Dr. Sam Yoon, the chief of the cancer surgery division at Columbia University, faced the retraction of five research articles. Additionally, a sixth article has been marked with an editor’s note, highlighting growing concerns about research misconduct. This troubling situation has not only affected Columbia but has also cast a shadow over cancer laboratories at several other prestigious American universities.
With these latest retractions, Dr. Yoon’s laboratory has seen more than a dozen studies retracted due to suspicious results. This follows a February report by The New York Times, which brought to light multiple data discrepancies within the lab’s research.
The retracted studies were part of a total of 26 articles authored by Dr. Yoon and a junior collaborator, Changhwan Yoon. Investigative efforts by British scientific sleuth Sholto David revealed that these articles had misrepresented images from one experiment as data from another. Such practices can be employed to manipulate or fabricate research results, raising serious ethical questions.
In a recent response to inquiries, Columbia University confirmed that Changhwan Yoon is no longer associated with the lab. However, the institution has remained largely silent regarding what actions, if any, have been taken to address the allegations of misconduct against Dr. Yoon.
Since the initial report in February, Dr. Yoon’s name has been modified on a Columbia University website, changing from Sam Yoon to S. Sunghyun Yoon. This alteration raises concerns, as the name promoted to patients does not correspond to that used in Dr. Yoon’s published retracted studies. Furthermore, a hiring announcement from several years ago has also been updated to reflect this name change, as evidenced by archived web pages.
Columbia University stated that faculty members are responsible for any alterations made to departmental web pages. Despite the ongoing controversy, the university has declined to provide any additional commentary regarding the retractions. Similarly, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where Dr. Yoon conducted much of his questionable research, has refrained from commenting, merely indicating that they review such cases.