Chinese YouTuber Geng Hongwei Exposes Scientific Fraud in Biomedical Research
Geng Hongwei, a 33-year-old ex-PhD student in biomedical engineering from Beihang University, has emerged as a key whistleblower addressing scientific misconduct in China. His YouTube channel, "Geng Tells a Story," boasts 2.2 million followers on Bilibili. Following Geng's revelations, Springer Nature examined five articles authored by Chinese research teams from 2020 to 2026 between April and June. Internal investigations were launched by universities such as Tongji, Nankai, and Sun Yat-sen, resulting in several dismissals. Geng's scrutiny targets renowned scientists in biotechnology and oncology, including a 2024 Nature publication where he uncovered irregularities. He abandoned his PhD in 2025 due to pressure from publication demands. The Chinese government has backed him amid rising concerns about scientific fraud.
Key facts
- Geng Hongwei is a 33-year-old former PhD student at Beihang University.
- His channel has 2.2 million followers on Bilibili.
- Springer Nature investigated five articles by Chinese groups between April and June.
- Tongji University removed Wang Ping as dean and fired Jin Jiali.
- Geng flagged anomalies in a 2024 Nature paper on tumor growth.
- He focuses on high-profile Chinese scientists in biotechnology and oncology.
- Elisabeth Bik is a microbiologist who inspired Geng.
- Nine of the top ten research institutions globally are Chinese per Nature Index 2026.
Entities
Institutions
- Springer Nature
- Nature
- Bilibili
- Beihang University
- Tongji University
- Nankai University
- Sun Yat-sen University
- Science
- The Economist
- Wall Street Journal
- Xinhua
- PubPeer
- Il Foglio
- Science Integrity Digest
Locations
- China
- Beijing
- Shanghai
- Tianjin
- Guangzhou
- Siping