DOJ: University researcher pleads guilty to developing scientific expertise for China

COLUMBUS, Ohio (KVOA) – On Thursday, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a rheumatology professor and researcher with strong ties to China pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal authorities as part of an immunology research fraud scheme.

According to the DOJ, Song Guo Zheng, a 58-year old man admitted he lied on applications in order to use approximately $4.1 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop China’s expertise in the areas of rheumatology and immunology.

“Federal research funding is provided by the American tax payers for the benefit of American society—not as a subsidy for the Chinese Government,” John Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security said. “The American people deserve total transparency when federal dollars are being provided for research, and we will continue to hold accountable those who choose to lie about their foreign government affiliations in an attempt to fraudulently gain access to these funds.”

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