Stanford President Tessier-Lavigne to resign after investigation into research manipulation

STANFORD — Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne announced Wednesday he is resigning Aug. 31 after an investigation commissioned by the school’s Board of Trustees found “manipulation of research data” in several academic papers of which he was the principal author.

In December, a special committee of the university Board of Trustees launched a review of issues first raised in the Stanford Daily student newspaper over work associated with Tessier-Lavigne.

The report released Wednesday by the committee noted that Tessier-Lavigne, who became Stanford’s president in 2016, “has been widely recognized for his seminal contributions to the field of neuroscience” and “has built a large body of scientific work amounting to hundreds of papers on which he is a principal or non-principal author.”

The committee looked at 12 papers about which allegations have been raised and concluded that while Tessier-Lavigne did not personally engage in misconduct for any of them, he oversaw a laboratory where multiple members “appear to have manipulated research data and/or fallen short of accepted scientific practices.”

The report also determined that at various times when concerns over some of the scientific papers emerged, Tessier-Lavigne “failed to decisively and forthrightly correct mistakes in the scientific record” and now at least five publications in preeminent journals require retraction or correction.

Tessier-Lavigne in a statement Wednesday to the Stanford community said, “Although the report clearly refutes the allegations of fraud and misconduct that were made against me, for the good of the University, I have made the decision to step down.”

He said he agreed with parts of the report that found he should have been more diligent in seeking corrections and making sure there was no misconduct among members of his lab.

“I expect there may be ongoing discussion about the report and its conclusions, at least in the near term, which could lead to debate about my ability to lead the University into the new academic year,” Tessier-Lavigne said. “Stanford is greater than any one of us. It needs a president whose leadership is not hampered by such discussions. I therefore concluded that I should step down before the start of classes.”

He said that although he is stepping down as president, he will remain on the Stanford faculty and will continue “scientific research on brain development and neurodegeneration under the auspices of one of the world’s preeminent educational institutions.”

Tessier-Lavigne said he has communicated his decision to the university’s Board of Trustees, “and they accepted my view that a leadership transition in time for the start of the next school year is the best course of action. I am confident the Board will appoint a superb leader as the next President of our beloved institution.”

The Board has named European Studies Professor Richard Saller the interim president, effective Sept. 1.  

The report by the special committee can be found at: https://boardoftrustees.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/07/Scientific-Panel-Final-Report.pdf

Tessier-Lavigne’s statement can be found at: https://tessier-lavigne-lab.stanford.edu/news/message-stanford-community