SAN FRANCISCO (NEWSnet/AP) — Marc Tessier-Lavigne, president of Stanford University said Wednesday he plans to resign Aug. 31, citing an independent review that cleared him of research misconduct, but found flaws in some papers he authored.

His resignation comes after the board of trustees launched a review in December 2022, following allegations he engaged in fraud and other unethical conduct related to his research.

Tessier-Lavigne, a neuroscientist, says he “never submitted a scientific paper without firmly believing that the data were correct and accurately presented.” Even so, he says he should have been more diligent in seeking corrections regarding his work.

The review assessed 12 papers with which Tessier-Lavigne was involved. He was principal author of five. He said he was aware of issues with four of the five papers, and acknowledged taking “insufficient” steps to address them. He said he will retract three of the papers and correct two. The papers were published before Tessier-Lavigne was named president at Stanford.

The panel cleared him of the most serious allegations, that a 2009 paper published in the scientific journal Nature was the subject of a fraud investigation and that fraud was found. There was no investigation and no fraud discovered, the panel ruled.

Tessier-Lavigne says he is resigning because he expects continued debate about his ability to lead the university.

The board named Richard Saller as interim president starting Sept. 1, said board chairman Jerry Yang. Tessier-Lavigne has been president for nearly seven years. He will remain on faculty as a biology professor.

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