UConn's resveratrol star faked 145 counts of data — and sued the university for $35M

Dipak Das was a prominent researcher and director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center. He was best known for his work on resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, which he claimed had powerful cardiovascular benefits. His research was widely cited and helped fuel interest in resveratrol as a health supplement.

A three-year university investigation found Das guilty of 145 counts of fabrication or falsification of data. The investigation examined over seven years of lab activity and found widespread manipulation of Western blot images used in published papers. The report noted that 'many figures had more manipulations but, for expediency, the review board only noted the most obvious' and concluded the acts were 'intentional and designed to deceive.' The misconduct dated back to 2005, when Das's lab had no one with the expertise to prepare the experiments being published.

UConn fired Das in May 2012. All research in his lab was terminated, and federal research grants were declined. Eleven journals were notified. As of 2024, 24 of his papers had been retracted. Das responded by filing a $35 million defamation lawsuit against UConn. He died in September 2013.

He faked 145 counts of data, got 24 retractions, and then sued UConn for $35M, which failed.

Das's lab lacked the expertise to perform the experiments he was publishing — no one could properly prepare the Western blots, yet papers continued with manipulated images.

Peer review at biomedical journals failed to detect the image manipulation, and the university did not investigate until years after the fabrication began.

The resveratrol field was highly competitive, and the pressure to produce positive results let manipulation go undetected because the results were what everyone wanted to see.

A lab that publishes images it cannot produce is producing them somewhere else. The university that employed him for years bears responsibility for trusting reputation over evidence.

The Das case became a cautionary example in biomedical research integrity, particularly for the manipulation of Western blot images — a common form of data fabrication that is now detected using software tools. The case also highlighted the challenge of universities policing their own star researchers, and the risk of career-ending retaliation when fraud is exposed.