China Removes Three More Top Scientists From Posts After Blogger Flags Research Flaws

Last Updated:May 31, 2026, 21:16 IST

Their work came under increasing scrutiny after a former doctoral student and science blogger began highlighting alleged data irregularities in published studies.

Three more prominent Chinese scientists have been removed from senior academic positions after questions were raised about the quality and reliability of their research, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

The latest disciplinary action was announced by two leading universities and comes weeks after another high-profile researcher was removed from his post amid allegations of academic misconduct.

Nankai University in Tianjin said Chen Quan had been dismissed as dean of its College of Life Sciences. The university stated that Chen, who served as the corresponding author of a paper published in Nature Cancer in 2024, failed to properly supervise the quality and authenticity of the experimental data used in the study.

At the same time, Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou announced that Kang Tiebang had been removed as deputy director of the State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, while Kuang Dongming was stripped of his role as associate dean of the School of Life Sciences.

Blogger’s Findings Trigger Scrutiny

According to the university, Kang was linked to a 2020 paper published in Nature Cell Biology that contained data and image-related errors. Kuang was accused of similar issues involving three separate research papers published in Nature Cell Biology, Science Advances and Cell.

The developments follow the removal of Wang Ping, a leading cancer researcher at Tongji University in Shanghai, who was dismissed from his position last month over concerns related to published research.

All four scientists were recipients of China’s prestigious “Outstanding Youth" award, a recognition often viewed as a stepping stone to the country’s top scientific institutions.

Their work came under increasing scrutiny after a former doctoral student and science blogger known as “Student Geng" began highlighting alleged data irregularities in published studies. Geng, a former biomedical engineer, reportedly used artificial intelligence tools and statistical analysis to identify anomalies in research papers by prominent academics.

His videos have attracted around 1.8 million followers on Chinese social media platforms and sparked a wider debate about research integrity.

State news agency Xinhua recently had praised Geng’s efforts to promote scientific accountability, while also stressing that tackling academic misconduct should remain the responsibility of universities and research institutions rather than social media.

Both Nankai University and Sun Yat-sen University have said they will strengthen oversight mechanisms and reinforce standards of research integrity following the cases.

News world Chinese universities oust three top scientists over research concerns

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