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Cornell researcher’s articles retracted by leading medical journal

A leading medical journal is retracting six articles by Cornell researcher Brian Wansink.
Cornell University
A leading medical journal is retracting six articles by Cornell researcher Brian Wansink.

The Journal of the American Medical Association has retracted six articles by a prominent Cornell researcher.

Brian Wansink, listed as an author on all the studies, heads Cornell's Food and Brand Lab and the university's Behavioral Economics and Consumer Choice institute.

Wansink's work has been featured in The New York Times and O, the Oprah Magazine, and on the Today Show, but the American Medical Association has now said it cannot verify that the results of at least a half-dozen of his studies are valid.

The retraction follows an “expression of concern” about the same six articles printed in the medical association’s journal in May. They include research on which foods people find most enticing after fasting for 18 hours, and what sort of purchases hungry grocery shoppers tend to make.

Wansink has now had a total of 13 papers retracted, one twice, according to the Retraction Watch website.

Cornell said the university will make a statement about the “allegations of academic misconduct” Friday. Contacted by email, Wansink said he's proud of the studies in question and is confident their results will be validated by other groups.

Brett was the health reporter and a producer at WXXI News. He has a master’s degree from the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism.