UW researcher's 7-year misconduct battle
An assistant research professor at the University of Washington has fought allegations of academic misconduct for seven years and is now asking a judge to stop the UW from firing him Friday.
Seattle Times higher education reporter
UW Blood disease specialist Andrew Aprikyan
An assistant research professor at the University of Washington has fought allegations of academic misconduct for seven years and is now asking a judge to stop the UW from firing him Friday.
The case of Andrew Aprikyan, who is also the UW's table tennis coach, shows just how difficult it can be for a university to determine whether a researcher made honest mistakes or fabricated results. At times, the case has pitted the UW's administration against some faculty, who've supported Aprikyan.
It also raises questions about how the UW could let an academic-misconduct investigation drag on for so long, all the while allowing a medical researcher it suspects of wrongdoing to draw a salary, collect grants and travel the globe presenting his findings.
This year, UW President Mark Emmert intervened. He concluded that Aprikyan had committed research misconduct in his published work on blood disorders and should be fired.
Aprikyan, who doesn't have tenure, responded by filing suit in King County Superior Court.
There are some eye-opening revelations in the court documents — including Aprikyan's own account that a