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Does science have a bullying problem?

A spate of bullying allegations have rocked several high-profile science institutions. Here’s how researchers, universities, funders and others are dealing with the issue.
  1. Holly Else
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Illustration by Daniel Stolle

In August, accusations of bullying roiled the Institute of Cancer Research in London, one of the leading science centres in the United Kingdom. A prominent cancer researcher there, geneticist Nazneen Rahman, resigned from the institute following an investigation into allegations that she had bullied her staff. And in an unprecedented move, the biomedical charity the Wellcome Trust revoked £3.5 million (US$4.5 million) of the funding it had given her.

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Nature 563, 616-618 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07532-5

Updates & Corrections

  • Correction 29 November 2018: The word order in one sentence has been changed since this article was first published to clarify that Nazneen Rahman resigned from the Institute of Cancer Research before the Wellcome Trust revoked her funding.

References

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  4. Chatziioannidis, I., Bascialla, F. G., Chatzivalsama, P., Vouzas, F. & Mitsiakos, G. BMJ Open 8, e018766 (2018).

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