At GERO, we are committed to scientific integrity and transparency in all our activities, including research and publications. It is with this commitment that we wish to inform the scientific community and the general public about an important decision related to one of our associate researchers.
Recently, we have become aware of situations that require thorough review and evaluation, related to possible discrepancies in data published in the past by one of our associate researchers, Dr. Claudio Hetz, which has led to the retraction of an article in the journal Science due to the inability to replicate the data published in this work.
We want to emphasize that, at this time, the facts are not fully clarified, and we are not assigning responsibility. However, the seriousness of the allegations and the need to maintain confidence in our work compel us to take precautionary measures.
As members of the GERO board, we have decided to request an investigation into the matter by the appropriate authorities. Along with this, we have decided to suspend Dr. Claudio Hetz’s participation in all research and administrative activities related to GERO until the facts are clarified.
This decision is not made as a final verdict, but as a precautionary measure to protect the integrity and credibility of our work and all those involved, including students, researchers, clinical staff, and administrative staff, as well as the reputation of the two sponsoring institutions of this project, the University of Chile and the Universidad Mayor.
We appreciate the understanding and continued support of our community as we work to resolve this matter responsibly and ethically.
Dr. Felipe Court, Director and Principal Investigator at GERO
Dr. Christian Gonzalez, Associate Director and Principal Investigator at GERO
Dr. Andrea Slachevsky, Principal Investigator at GERO
Dr. Cesar Cardenas, Principal Investigator at GERO
Dr. Daniela Thumala, Associate Investigator at GERO
