Charles Piller
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charlespiller.bsky.social
Charles Piller
@charlespiller.bsky.social
Investigative reporter @sciencemagazine. Before: investigations for @statnews @sacbee_news @latimes. cpiller@charlespiller.com - Signal: cpiller.01 - Author of the book "Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's"
Thanks to the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing @sciencewriting.bsky.social for hosting me for a webinar on investigative reporting on science, with the great @lizagross.bsky.social Here's the link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvxz...
CASW Connector Chat: Tips and Tools for Investigative Science Reporting
YouTube video by CASW ScienceWriting
www.youtube.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Court challenge could chill reporting of research fraud, say whistleblower attorneys retractionwatch.com/2026/02/11/f...
Court challenge could chill reporting of research fraud, say whistleblower attorneys
utah778/iStock The U.S. government recently announced a record $6.8 billion in False Claims Act settlements and judgments in 2025, the most in a single year since the law’s enactment 163 years ago.…
retractionwatch.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:37 PM
Controversial Danish vaccine research group faces new allegations | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Controversial Danish vaccine research group faces new allegations
Researchers say they couldn’t find complete data for 10 trials that together enrolled tens of thousands of children in Guinea-Bissau
www.science.org
February 9, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Inside the quest to make a safer football helmet | Science | - great pre-Superbowl examination by Adrian Cho - AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Inside the quest to make a safer football helmet
New energy-absorbing designs and materials have revolutionized the iconic safety device
www.science.org
February 5, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Thanks so much to Cassandra Quave for a great conversation on her podcast Foodie Pharmacology about my book “Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer’s” – now also out in paperback. www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVpf...
Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance and Tragedy in Alzheimer’s Research with Charles Piller
YouTube video by TeachEthnobotany
www.youtube.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:57 PM
Thanks to John R Miles for a great conversation about my book "Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's" on his podcast Passion Struck passionstruck.com/charles-pill...
Alzheimer's Research Fraud: Charles Piller on Doctored
Investigative journalist Charles Piller exposes Alzheimer’s research fraud and the hidden misconduct that delayed cures and reshaped modern science.
passionstruck.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:05 PM
New review of my book, "Doctored," which was just released in paperback, from a publication of the University of Toronto www.immpressmagazine.com/doctored-202...
Doctored (2025) by Charles Piller – IMMPress Magazine
www.immpressmagazine.com
January 27, 2026 at 7:26 PM
To hear some of the reporting details and conclusions of my book, "Doctored," about misconduct in Alzheimer's research, please check out my new interview with Melanie Avalon. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/3...
January 16, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Science journalists: Please join me in conversation with @lizagross.bsky.social on Jan 29 about deep dives into scientific research -- come with questions and ideas to share. Sponsored by @sciencewriting.bsky.social
January 15, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Reposted by Charles Piller
Nice piece in @science.org by @charlespiller.bsky.social on clinical trial firms: www.science.org/content/arti... (Warning—quotes me) Even gives me the last sentence: "Greely says..'Will you ever know [if trial results are being doctored]? Certainly not if you never look.'”
Alzheimer’s drug developers accuse clinical trial sites of faking data
T3D Therapeutics alleges that contract researchers delivered “medically impossible” results on its candidate drug
www.science.org
January 7, 2026 at 11:34 PM
Excited that a box of the paperback edition of my book, “Doctored” just arrived. On sale everywhere on Jan 13. www.simonandschuster.com/books/Doctor...
January 7, 2026 at 5:23 PM
Reposted by Charles Piller
🧪 EXCLUSIVE 🧪 from @science.org: Scientists have swabbed a 500-year-old drawing attributed to Leonardo da Vinci—and may have found a piece of his DNA. www.science.org/content/arti...

Yes, really. A quick thread:
Exclusive: Have scientists found Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA?
Inside the decadeslong quest to reveal the genes of a genius—and revolutionize art authentication
www.science.org
January 7, 2026 at 4:40 PM
My latest story: Alzheimer’s drug developers accuse clinical trial sites of faking data | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Alzheimer’s drug developers accuse clinical trial sites of faking data
T3D Therapeutics alleges that contract researchers delivered
www.science.org
January 7, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Reposted by Charles Piller
January 5, 2026 at 8:43 PM
2025: In which Retraction Watch turned 15, and The Center For Scientific Integrity really became a center retractionwatch.com/2025/12/30/c...
Cheers to 2025: In which Retraction Watch turned 15, and The Center For Scientific Integrity really became a center
We always enjoy our annual review of the year at Retraction Watch, and 2025 is no exception. But we’re more excited about what lies ahead than what we already accomplished.  We’re on track for…
retractionwatch.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Opinion | Reflecting on yet another year of scientific fraud at the University of Minnesota via @carlelliott.bsky.social "Deny wrongdoing, stonewall reporters, punish dissenters and wait for it all to blow over." www.startribune.com/umn-professo...
Opinion | Reflecting on yet another year of scientific fraud at the University of Minnesota
Allegations a scientist doctored images in a paper on Alzheimer’s. Rachel Hardeman's resignation. An investigation into a pediatrician's reports of child abuse. The U saw a number of scientific scanda...
www.startribune.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:21 PM
My book “Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer’s” www.simonandschuster.com/books/Doctor... picked by NY Post among best of 2025. Paperback out 1/13. I’m honored to be among the illustrious authors on their list. nypost.com/2025/12/27/e...
December 29, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Reposted by Charles Piller
Another Lesné paper retracted 4 years after I first flagged some concerns.

Thanks to all who helped on this project: @elisabethbik.bsky.social @mumumouse2.bsky.social @charlespiller.bsky.social, Matthew Schrag, and other anons.

pubpeer.com/publications...
December 28, 2025 at 4:51 PM
My book "Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's" www.simonandschuster.com/books/Doctor... tops @thetransmitter.bsky.social most-read excerpt list for 2025. www.thetransmitter.org/books/the-tr...
Doctored
An Economist Best Book of 2025 So Far For readers of Empire of Pain and Dopesick, a “gripping story of medical groupthink and warped incentives” (T...
www.simonandschuster.com
December 24, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Finally! Another key paper by Sylvain Lesné re purported key Alzheimer’s-related protein amyloid-beta *56 is retracted. Validates findings by @thatsregrettab1.bsky.social @elisabethbik.bsky.social Matthew Schrag et al www.science.org/doi/full/10.... my original story: www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org
December 23, 2025 at 7:08 PM
In a disturbing, chilling move, U.S. senator asks Science (including Science journalists) to provide its coronavirus manuscripts, emails | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
U.S. senator asks Science to provide its coronavirus manuscripts, emails
Rand Paul has blasted government science officials and scientists over COVID-19’s origin
www.science.org
December 23, 2025 at 3:24 PM
ORI has released just two misconduct findings this year - Shocking but not surprising. via @katetravis.bsky.social retractionwatch.com/2025/12/18/o...
ORI has released just two misconduct findings this year
The U.S. Office of Research Integrity has been relatively quiet in 2025, releasing just two misconduct findings with only two weeks remaining in the year — the fewest the office has released since …
retractionwatch.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Illuminating reporting and analysis in @science.org breakthrough of the year package. Don't miss the photo essay. www.science.org/content/arti...
Science’s 2025 Breakthrough of the Year: The unstoppable rise of renewable energy
Clean energy infrastructure is being deployed with unmatched scale and speed—and China is leading the way
www.science.org
December 19, 2025 at 3:34 PM