Guide
In early March, Deep in Science reported that Nobel laureate's wife, Padmanee Sharma, had been accused of academic bullying and that Chinese scholars were demanding $5 million in damages.
Recently, there has been a new development in the matter, with more and more colleagues coming forward to accuse Sharma of academic misconduct, plagiarizing the team's work, and bullying young scholars in the lab like a "queen bee" enjoying a reign of terror.
Although she sued Sharma for defamation and demanded $5 million in damages, Sharma is an employee of a government-funded agency and has the backing of state power. "That's too ...... in itself I may have nothing."
In addition to Dr. Lin, there are a number of young academics who have been bullied by Sharma, who said that "urgent mental health treatment is needed".
However, on April 3 of this year, Sharma was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in 2024.
Lin Yan | Writing
01
Sharma is accused of "bullying" young academics
Ever since a Chinese-American scholar came forward to challenge authority, Padmanee Sharma has been embroiled in a bullying scandal.
On May 5, media reported that a growing number of young academics were exposing Sharma's misdeeds, saying she enjoyed a reign of terror and was accustomed to bullying and insulting junior academics with her power, and tampering with potentially life-saving research.
Sharma is home to the prestigious MD Anderson Cancer Center, known for its pioneering work in the field of immunotherapy – using the body's own immune system to find and destroy tumors.
In addition to the charges and lawsuits being filed against the center's top brass by Dr. Lin, a Chinese-American scholar, MD Anderson Cancer Center has also seen a spate of staff abuse, including verbal abuse and threats, which have even led some people to the psychological emergency room due to panic attacks.
At the heart of the scandal is none other than immuno-oncologist Sharma, who is also the wife of Nobel laureate James Allison, who holds a high position in immunotherapy research and is an authority at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
However, according to the revelations of many junior researchers, she is a "reign of terror" behind the scenes, not only bullying and abusing junior researchers, but even plagiarizing and sabotaging the careers of other scientists.
G, a former assistant at Sharma (anonymous) who worked with Sharma from 2019 to 2023, said, "One of Sharma's employees suffered a heart attack due to work stress, while another nurse practitioner who worked under him also began to have suicidal thoughts. ”
G also suffered from panic disorder after working together, and after helping Sharma update her resume, G thought that there was nothing wrong with the updated resume, but Sharma didn't think so, and she was furious, pulling a chair and holding G "hostage" - preventing her from leaving her desk for hours, not even the freedom to go to the toilet or eat.
Then the rest of the office was not spared from the abuse, and Sharma was insulted by the remarks.
Some people expressed concern about her harshness and bullying, but the upper management ignored it, saying, "She is basically untouchable."
Sumit Subudhi
Not only Sharma, but MD Anderson Cancer Center seems to be eroded by this toxic culture, and Dr. Sumit Subudhi, whom Sharma values, also has the same management style as Sharma, and is abusive and threatening to his subordinates.
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Sharma刚当选AACR院士
It is worth mentioning that Sharma, who is still in the midst of lawsuits and scandals, was elected as a member of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in 2024.
On April 3 this year, the media reported that Padmanee Sharma was named an AACR Fellow in recognition of her contribution to establishing and advancing immune checkpoint therapy as an effective treatment for patients with multiple cancers.
Dr. Lin
Dr. Lin, a Chinese-American scholar, has been in a state of anxiety after challenging the power to sue Sharma, losing 10 pounds because she couldn't eat, was so anxious that she couldn't sleep, had mental health problems, and felt a persistent paranoia.
Lin began to become reluctant to interact with her colleagues, and although she was still on the front lines of research, she would have been left with nothing left when the remaining funds from the NIH grant were withdrawn with two papers that could have strengthened her research portfolio.
She is currently suing Sharma as an ordinary citizen, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is defending her. He argues that Dr. Lin's case should be directed against MD Anderson Cancer Center, not Dr. Sharma personally, and claims that the latter is not affected by any legal challenge.
But Dr. Lin is not going to give up, she chooses to fight to the end, she says: "It means a lot to me because it is not only about my career, but also about my future research career. ”
Resources
1.Top US cancer center MD Anderson is embroiled in bullying scandal - with top doctor accused of 'Mafia-style abuse' and plagiarism
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/us-health-weekend-features-project/article-13376857/md-anderson-cancer-center-bullying-scandal-doctor-toxic-abuse-plagiarism.html
2.AACR: MD Anderson's Padmanee Sharma elected Fellow of the AACR Academy
https://www.mdanderson.org/newsroom/aacr-md-andersons-padmanee-sharma-elected-fellow-aacr-academy.h00-159696756.html