Introduction
Professor Kishor Wasan, a Canadian pharmacologist and former dean of the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, has been the subject of significant controversy throughout his academic career. His tenure, which spanned from 2014 to 2019, was marked by contentious decisions, disputes over academic integrity, and questions regarding his leadership style. However, the most high-profile incident that brought his career under scrutiny was a retracted book review he co-authored for The Lancet, which ignited further questions about his academic honesty.
In this article, we will examine the key events surrounding Professor Wasan’s career, the controversy over his actions, and whether they constitute fraudulent behavior. Let’s explore the facts and see if his conduct truly warrants such a serious accusation.
Who is Professor Kishor Wasan?
Before diving into the controversy, it is important to understand Professor Kishor Wasan’s professional background. He is a trained pharmacologist with a specialization in lipid-based drug delivery systems. Wasan held academic positions at various prestigious institutions throughout his career. Before his role at the University of Saskatchewan, Wasan served at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where he worked in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and held several key roles, including assistant dean of research and graduate programs from 2011 to 2014.
His research, particularly in the area of lipid-based drug delivery and the interaction between lipoproteins and pharmaceuticals, gained recognition within the scientific community. Wasan claimed to have published more than 550 peer-reviewed articles and abstracts, though the quality and originality of these works have been questioned by some within academia.
Additionally, Professor Kishor Wasan founded the Neglected Global Diseases Initiative at UBC and served as its co-director. Despite his academic accomplishments, questions surrounding his professional integrity would eventually cast a shadow over his career, culminating in the events that unfolded at the University of Toronto.
Professor Kishor Wasan’s Book Review Scandal (2023)
The most damaging incident in Wasan’s career occurred in 2019 when a book review he co-authored was retracted by The Lancet. The review, which focused on Canada’s healthcare system, was found to contain large sections that were nearly identical to an earlier review written by André Picard, a well-known Canadian journalist and columnist for The Globe and Mail.
The similarities between the two reviews were so striking that The Lancet was forced to withdraw the publication. While Professor Kishor Wasan was not explicitly accused of plagiarism in the retraction notice, the situation raised serious questions about academic ethics. According to Wasan, the review had initially cited Picard’s work, but this reference was later removed to make room for the authors’ own opinions. However, they failed to adequately rephrase the content, resulting in substantial overlap between the two reviews.
Although Wasan denied any intention to mislead readers, the incident was enough to cause significant damage to his professional reputation. The retraction led to his resignation from a planned appointment as dean of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto, a position he had been chosen for just months earlier in 2018.
The Fallout: Academic Integrity Under Scrutiny
Following the Lancet retraction, Wasan’s career took a hit, and the academic community began to question his leadership. His resignation from the University of Toronto was a direct consequence of the retracted book review, and it highlighted deeper issues with academic integrity and leadership.
But the controversy didn’t end there. In 2023, MDPI, a prominent publisher of open-access scientific journals, was set to publish a special edition of Pharmaceutics in honor of Professor Wasan’s contributions to the field. However, after Retraction Watch—an online platform that tracks retractions and ethical issues in scientific publishing—reported the plagiarism incident, MDPI decided to withdraw the special edition.
The retraction of the Lancet article and the withdrawal of the MDPI special issue have raised further questions about Wasan’s professional behavior. While these incidents are not necessarily fraudulent in the traditional sense of financial misdeeds, they do point to serious lapses in academic honesty and responsibility.
Was Professor Kishor Wasan’s Behavior Fraudulent?
The central question remains: did Professor Kishor Wasan commit fraud? To answer this, it is important to differentiate between different types of misconduct in academia.
- Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of taking someone else’s work or ideas without giving appropriate credit. While Wasan was not formally accused of plagiarism, the striking similarities between his review and Picard’s work, coupled with his admission of not properly paraphrasing, suggest a significant breach of academic standards.
- Misrepresentation of Research: Fraud in academic research often involves the manipulation of data or misrepresentation of findings. There is no direct evidence to suggest that Wasan falsified research data. However, the questions surrounding the breadth and originality of his published work—and the retraction of a high-profile article—raise concerns about his scholarly integrity.
- Failure to Uphold Ethical Standards: In academia, leaders are expected to set an example for ethical conduct. Wasan’s failure to properly credit the work of others, combined with the controversy surrounding his resignation, paints a picture of a leader who may have been more focused on personal achievement than upholding academic honesty.
While it may not be fair to label Wasan’s actions as “fraud” in the criminal sense, there are certainly ethical and professional lapses that warrant serious consideration. As a prominent figure in the field of pharmaceutics, his actions have the potential to undermine trust in academic institutions and the integrity of scientific research.
What Happens Next for Professor Kishor Wasan?
As of 2023, Professor Wasan remains an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia, and he is involved in leadership roles at several pharmaceutical organizations. He continues to serve as the Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Skymount Medical and as the Director of Research at iCo Therapeutics Inc.
Despite the controversies surrounding his career, Wasan’s expertise in lipid-based drug delivery systems is still recognized, and his work in the field of neglected global diseases has had a positive impact in certain areas. However, his legacy is now complicated by the ethical questions surrounding his academic conduct.
The Bigger Picture: Academic Integrity and Accountability
The case of Professor Kishor Wasan highlights the importance of academic integrity in higher education. Whether it is a matter of proper citation, data integrity, or leadership ethics, institutions must take proactive steps to ensure that their faculty members adhere to the highest standards of honesty and transparency.
For students and researchers, the Wasan case serves as a reminder of the critical importance of conducting research with integrity and giving proper credit where it is due. Academic misconduct, even when unintentional, can have far-reaching consequences—not just for the individuals involved, but for the broader academic community and the public trust in scientific knowledge.
Conclusion
Professor Kishor Wasan’s career has been marred by controversy, from his leadership decisions to the retracted Lancet book review that triggered his resignation. While his actions may not rise to the level of fraud in a legal sense, they do reflect serious ethical lapses that cannot be ignored. Whether or not these incidents constitute fraud, they certainly call into question his academic and professional integrity.
As Wasan moves forward in his career, it remains to be seen whether he can restore his reputation. However, the fallout from these incidents serves as an important reminder of the critical importance of honesty, transparency, and ethical conduct in academia and beyond.
