Researcher Silent On Fraud Charge

The graduate student accused of research fraud in the laboratory of Loeb University Professor Walter Gilbert '53 acknowledged the allegation Friday, but refused to say whether or not the charge against him is true.

Dr. Carl E. Fulwiler, research associate in biology, said he had "no response" to a charge that he altered data for an experiment that was part of Gilbert's zebrafish research project. The allegation is under investigation by the standing faculty committee on professional conduct, sources said.

"I don't have a response," Fulwiler said. "I don't think it's appropriate for anyone to comment on it... It's an allegation, it's just an allegation and maybe I'll comment on it when the investigation is over."

Fulwiler was interviewed Friday in the Gilbert laboratory on the fourth floor of the biological laboratory building at 16 Oxford St. The doctor, who has retained laboratory privileges during the investigation, worked on the Macintosh computer in room 186 for the duration of the five minute interview.

Contacted by phone earlier on Friday. Fulwiler hung up Fulwiler also did not return repeated phone calls to his home and to the laboratory over the past week.

Workers in the laboratory have said Fulwiler had a practice in psychiatry before coming to Harvard to do research.

They also said he is research fellow at the Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital in Belmont. Repeated phone calls to officials at the hospital have gone unreturned for a week.

Gilbert, who shared the 1980 Nobel Prize in chemistry, has refused to discuss the matter, saying that University policy makes it confidential issue were cited by Gilbert in a draft of a paper, the professor engaged in no wrongdoing.

Professor interview Last week by The Crimson said Gilbert did more than most of their colleagues to try to prevent research fraud, including handing out detailed instructions of how to properly keep a laboratory notebook. Professors generally agree that research fraud is nearly impossible to prevent.

According to University records, Fulwiler attended the Graduate School of Education, but did not graduate. Further background information about Fulwiler was unavailable