Iowa State Researcher Claims To Find A Cure For AIDS, Oh Whoops, Turns Out He Was Lying The Whole Time And Is Now Facing Federal Prison Time

NBC News- Responding to a major case of research misconduct, federal prosecutors have taken the rare step of filing charges against a scientist after he admitted falsifying data that led to millions in grants and hopes of a breakthrough in AIDS vaccine research. Investigators say former Iowa State University laboratory manager Dong-Pyou Han has confessed to spiking samples of rabbit blood with human antibodies to make an experimental HIV vaccine appear to have great promise. After years of work and millions in National Institutes of Health grants, another laboratory uncovered irregularities that suggested the results — once hailed as groundbreaking — were bogus. Han was indicted last week on four counts of making false statements, each of which carries up to five years in prison.

What a big time asshole this guy is, huh?  Look at me!  I cured AIDS!  One of the most devastating and horrible viruses of any time period in human history!  I cured it!  Oh just kidding I lied!  As if people with AIDS don’t have bad days as it is then this researcher goes and get their hopes up about a cure and then it turns out he was kidding the whole time.  Rough stuff.  What was his end game?  Did he just think the the medical community was going to take his word on it?  I’m not a doctor or a researcher but anybody with at least one brain cell knows that’s not how it works.  And I gotta say, I don’t like the idea of sending this guy to jail.  That’s too simple and easy.  The judicial system needs to think outside the box on this one.  For instance, a better idea would be to inject him with the AIDS virus and allow him to continue his research.  That should be his punishment.  Ya know, add a little incentive to the whole thing.  I guarantee he’d try a lot harder and lie a lot less if his life was dependent on him finding an actual cure for AIDS.

h/t @ngolden17