Ethics

Recent articles

Stories about scientific misconduct, retractions, debates over research standards, and more

Magnifying glass.

Researchers retract multisensory learning paper after failed replications

Even though one set of experiments did not hold up, the authors stand by the original conclusions of the work and plan to resubmit it as a new paper.

By Calli McMurray
31 March 2026 | 4 min read
Two monkeys.

Two primate centers drop ‘primate’ from their name

The Washington and Tulane National Biomedical Research Centers—formerly called National Primate Research Centers—say they made the change to better reflect the breadth of research performed at the centers.

By Calli McMurray
26 February 2026 | 5 min read
Monkey against a soft, colorful background.

Oregon primate research center to negotiate with NIH on possible transition to sanctuary

The board of directors at Oregon Health & Science University, which runs the primate center, voted unanimously in favor of the move.

By Calli McMurray
9 February 2026 | 6 min read
Collage of digestive-system organs, the brain and various shapes and figures.

Going against the gut: Q&A with Kevin Mitchell on the autism-microbiome theory

A new review of 15 years of studies on the connection between the microbiome and autism reveals widespread statistical and conceptual errors.

By Lauren Schenkman
13 November 2025 | 7 min read
Colorful drawing of a human brain.

‘Neuroethics: The Implications of Mapping and Changing the Brain,’ an excerpt

In his new book, published today, philosopher Walter Glannon examines the ethics of six areas of neuroscience. In Chapter 4, a portion of which appears below, he tackles the ethical considerations of using brain organoids in research.

By Walter Glannon
11 November 2025 | 7 min read
Nonhuman brain slice.

Nonhuman primate research to lose federal funding at major European facility

The Dutch Senate has ordered the Biomedical Primate Research Centre in the Netherlands to shift its funding away from primate experiments by 2030.

By Lauren Schenkman
30 October 2025 | 4 min read
Image of potentially duplicated research figures.

Image integrity issues create new headache for subarachnoid hemorrhage research

First-time sleuths found potentially problematic images in hundreds of papers about early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

By Lauren Schneider
30 October 2025 | 5 min read
Eraser sitting on a stack of papers.

Alzheimer’s paper retracted over apparent image duplication

The editors of Neurobiology of Disease, which published the paper, also questioned how the study’s experimental protocols received ethical approval.

By Lauren Schneider
23 September 2025 | 4 min read
Research image of duplicated data in a now-retracted paper.

Alzheimer’s scientist forced to retract paper during his own replication effort

Gary Dunbar, a neuroscientist at Central Michigan University, was attempting to redo the 2020 paper after a collaborator admitted to using flawed data in the original work.

By Brendan Borrell
18 July 2025 | 4 min read
Researcher holds a mouse perched on a glass cylinder.

NIH proposal sows concerns over future of animal research, unnecessary costs

The new NIH policy calls for greater incorporation of new approach methodologies in all future Notices of Funding Opportunities related to animal model systems.

By Claudia López Lloreda
15 July 2025 | 5 min read

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‘Overdue’ debate unfurls over neuroimaging method

After a January paper questioned the validity of an approach called lesion network mapping, its users are pressure testing their results.

By Angie Voyles Askham
17 April 2026 | 8 min read

Nearly 400 compounds affect behaviors tied to autism-linked genes in zebrafish

Estropipate, paclitaxel and levocarnitine altered behaviors tied to SCN2A and DYRK1A variants specifically, a new open-source platform revealed.

By Charles Q. Choi
16 April 2026 | 4 min read

What neuroscientists want from a new NINDS director

The search is underway for the next director of the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, who will face a range of challenges, neuroscientists say, but will also have an “immense opportunity to do good things.”

By Helena Kudiabor
15 April 2026 | 4 min read