NIH Neuroscience Leader Committed Research Misconduct, Agency Says

The NIH found evidence of research misconduct by Eliezer Masliah, MD, a longtime head of the neuroscience division of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the agency said Thursday.

The falsification or fabrication involved re-using and relabeling figure panels representing different experimental results in two publications, the NIH said, noting that it will notify the two journals of its findings so that appropriate action can be taken.

Currently, Masliah is not serving as the NIA neuroscience director, with NIA Deputy Director Amy Kelley, MD, serving as the acting neuroscience director, the agency stated.

NIH started its research misconduct review process in May 2023 after it received allegations from the HHS Office of Research Integrity (ORI). The agency began its investigation phase in December 2023, concluded its probe on Sept. 15, 2024, and notified the HHS ORI of its findings.

In 2016, Masliah joined the NIA as its neuroscience chief and an NIH intramural researcher investigating synaptic damage in neurodegenerative disorders. He published numerous papers as an NIH intramural researcher, according to the agency.

“Any allegations involving Dr. Masliah’s NIH-supported extramural research prior to joining NIH would be referred to HHS ORI, consistent with NIH policies and procedures,” the agency said.

The NIH announcement coincided with the publication of an article in Science questioning images in more than 100 papers that Masliah was involved with. The images appeared to contain altered western blots, which are used to show the presence of proteins.

The Science article suggested that Masliah’s work in animal research in 2005 may have helped the FDA decide to approve clinical trials of prasinezumab, an investigational agent targeting alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease.

Prasinezumab later failed a phase II trial in humans with Parkinson’s, but a phase IIb study is currently underway. Exploratory analyses published in Nature Medicine and discussed at the 2024 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) annual meeting have suggested that the monoclonal antibody may slow motor progression in certain subgroups of Parkinson’s patients.

Science also cited mouse studies of cerebrolysin — a treatment approved in other countries, but not the U.S. — that were conducted at Masliah’s former lab at the University of California San Diego, and research involving an investigational Parkinson’s drug known as minzasolmin from a company Masliah co-founded in 2008.

Noted Parkinson’s specialist Michael Okun, MD, of the University of Florida in Gainesville, said others should consider how the Science article can improve the quality and credibility of research. “Let’s use this information to improve the information we provide to scientists and society,” Okun posted on X.