Nepal medical student linked to fast-turnaround research network under investigation

Retraction Watch reports that Raghabendra Kumar Mahato, a second-year medical student in Nepal, runs a WhatsApp network of about 1,000 researchers producing large volumes of conference abstracts and journal papers. Several abstracts coauthored by Mahato have been accepted at major conferences such as the American Heart Association and ESMO. Critics say the setup resembles a paper mill and that authorship can be traded for presenting or publication fees, while Mahato denies selling authorship and says the aim is collaborative research; AHA and ESMO say they are reviewing the submissions.