Elsa Flores, MD, has stepped down as division chief and associate center director of basic science at Tampa, Fla.-based Moffitt Cancer Center. She will remain a senior member in the department of molecular oncology, according to a May 30 Tampa Bay Times report.
The move comes after scientific journals retracted, corrected or flagged at least five studies co-authored by Dr. Flores during her time at Houston-based University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Researchers raised concerns about studies in online scientific forums, questioning how the data was presented and whether images used to illustrate findings had been duplicated or altered. Dr. Flores publicly disputed the allegations and defended her work online, the report said.
“Moffitt Cancer Center is committed to maintaining the highest levels of integrity in scientific research,” the cancer center said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “All research at Moffitt is conducted in accordance with well-established standards supported by robust oversight, infrastructure and regulatory compliance.”
John Cleveland, PhD, executive vice president, center director and chief scientific officer at Moffitt, will step into Dr. Flores’ associate center director position. Kenneth Wright, PhD, Moffitt’s associate center director of research education and training, will assume the division chief role, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Becker’s has reached out to Dr. Flores for comment and will update this story if more information becomes available.
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