A Chemistry Researcher at Hokkaido University Was Confirmed To Have Falsified and Fabricated Data

Takao Masuda, Hokkaido University’s Executive Vice President of Research Management, apologized for the data misconduct of a chemistry researcher. Filipino Ronald Lazo Reyes worked as an appointed professor under Masaya Sawamura. Professor Sawamura, although not an accomplice, likewise apologized for his oversight. Reyes committed 512 counts of fabrication and 317 falsifications across four published papers, including a paper published in the journal Science in 2020. Reyes reportedly said that the data was processed rather than falsified. Hokkaido University cannot take disciplinary action against Reyes since he resigned last May 2022. Reyes currently resides in his home country as a professor at National University.