======= Date Modified 24 31 2010 18:31:59 =======
======= Date Modified 24 28 2010 18:28:44 =======
Hi all......I am in a tough situation and just wondering if could get opinions about what to do...I have been working in this lab for the last three years..have published in nature immunology and JBC....my boss is real HITLER....She has made my life hell...she makes me work on weekends and holidays...never pays my dues...scolds me like dog if I fail in single experiment....
I was so frustrated that I resigned from her lab and secured a gud PhD position....Unfortunately, that PI called my boss and she accused me of data misrepresentation...I tried to figure out the problem and what I found astonished me....
I was working on a project when I left her lab......I had done quiet a few experiments...I suspected artifacts but before I could repeat those experiments I left her lab.....and now she is saying that all that data derived from SINGLE experiments was fake....that data was never repeated, was never into publishable format, how can she accuse me for that...
I lost that PhD offer and now I am afraid that I wont get any offer...I wont be able to get a PhD position without her reference.....I dont know how to fight with my former supervisor..she is very powerful personality..nobody will trust me.....I think its time to put a full stop at my research career....

I'm not really sure what to advise, but it just sounds like a horrible position to be in. Is it possible to have some kind of three-way meeting with this former supervisor and another person (her manager? HR?)....

Call in the HoD to chair a meeting but before you do, get all emails from day one and build up your case.

But if all you did was perform preliminary experiments with no publication, ie - presentation of data - how can you be accused of MISrepresentation of data? I take it your phd offer was withdrawn post references but prior to starting? Is there any way you could get someone else in your old department to vouch for you and reclaim the offer? Certainly I would use someone else as a referee in future.

I may be wrong here but I strongly suspect you have a legal case against this woman. If she caused you to lose your phd through allegations that she cannot substantiate then you'd have every reason to sue her. As far as I know she cannot allege misconduct unless she's carried out an appropriate investigation into the matter. I think senior academics get used to throwing their weight around and assuming they're above such things as employment law, they're not!

I'd look into it, both for the sake of your future career (why should you lose out over Ms Hitler?) and to stop her bullying others.