Renowned Cancer Hospital In Texas Ousts Scientists Over Espionage Fears
“A small but significant number of individuals are working with government sponsorship to exfiltrate intellectual property that has been created with the support of U.S. taxpayers, private donors and industry collaborators,” said Dr. Peter Pisters, the president of University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The New York Times:
Wary Of Chinese Espionage, Houston Cancer Center Chose To Fire 3 Scientists
Two tenured scientists at a renowned cancer hospital in Houston have resigned, and the hospital is seeking to fire a third, in connection with an investigation into possible foreign attempts to take advantage of its federally funded research, the authorities said. The departures are one of the first publicly revealed outcomes of dozens of similar investigations nationwide, as federal officials have increasingly warned of foreign exploitation of American-backed research — particularly from the Chinese. (Zaveri, 4/22)
The Associated Press:
Texas Cancer Center Ousts 3 Over Chinese Data Theft Concerns
"As stewards of taxpayer dollars invested in biomedical research, we have an obligation to follow up," Pisters said. MD Anderson received $148 million in NIH grants last year. The center provided internal documents to the Chronicle regarding the cases but the names of the scientists were redacted. The newspaper said all three are ethnically Chinese. Two of them resigned ahead of termination proceedings and the third is challenging the dismissal. (4/20)
