Latest news with #Casey
RTÉ News
12 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Casey: Hunger as strong as ever for veteran Dublin players
Dublin manager Paul Casey believes the hunger within his side is as strong as ever as they prepare for battle with Meath in Sunday's TG4 Ladies Football Championship final at Croke Park. The Dubs, winners of five of the last eight editions of the competition, most recently two years ago, take on the Royals in an all-Leinster battle that will see many previous winners take to the field at Headquarters. Meath came out on top in the last final between the sides in 2021 and followed it up a year later against Kerry, so pedigree is not a question when it comes to this decider. However, Casey feels the veterans of his team remain as ambitious as the first day they donned the blue shirt. Speaking to RTÉ Sport, he said: "The hunger with those players is still there. We've Sinead Goldrick back from Australia and Hannah Tyrrell is still going very strong. "Carla [Rowe], Leah [Caffrey], Martha [Byrne], lots of girls with multiple All-Ireland medals, but they still have a hunger just like any of the younger girls and it's great to see. "They're really looking forward to it because they wanted to be back on the biggest stage of the year and hopefully they can do themselves justice now on Sunday. "You see the experience and we have so many natural footballers and players that always play full of heart, but they're well able to play football as well. "Their skills execution is brilliant, they're a fit team and do that jersey proud every single time they pull it on. "They will fight to the very, very end as we've seen a couple of times this year and the team that goes out plays it like it's their last game "We've had young players come into the squad and they've stepped up to the mark and they've been looking at the older players and learned lots from them. "The older players have only been too happy to pass on their knowledge to those younger girls." The Dubs have not had it their own way this year, coming out on top against Galway by a goal in the semi-final and drawing with Waterford in the group stages. Two matches with Meath in Leinster have given some indication of what to expect this weekend, with close games between the sides. Casey feels the way his side have progressed through the year has been hugely beneficial: "We've had a tough route along the way. We went down to Dungarvan to play against a very good Waterford team. "Obviously, we've beaten Meath in the Leinster final before that, but then after the group stages, we played an old enemy in Cork and gladly got over that. "Then we had the win a couple of weeks ago against Galway which obviously came down to the last kick of the ball. "We've been delighted with the progress we've made. "Meath really put it up to us in the Leinster final. We were in a bit of trouble and thankfully we pulled it out at the end. "But we were impressed with Meath, and even watching them since, they've improved massively as the championship has gone on. "We know the challenge that lies ahead. We've made lots of improvements along the way as well so I think you're going to see a really, really good game and there's not going to be much in it at the end of the 60 minutes."
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
We went from no savings to buying first €375k new home 20 mins outside Dublin at 25 with little-known €100k scheme help
BUYING a home in Ireland in the current climate can feel like an impossible task. But Casey Harris and her fiancé Alex Nugent have lifted the lid on how they went from no savings to going sale agreed on a €375,000 house in just one year. 6 Thrilled Casey and Alex went from having no savings to getting a foot on the property ladder 6 The former Dublin Rose is looking forward to moving into her own home later this year 6 Casey and Alex are very excited to see what the future holds 6 Artist's and Alex's new-build will look similar to above The thrilled couple will move into their new two-bedroom home in Trim, Co Singer and music teacher Casey said the couple made use of every assistance scheme they could when it came to getting on the property ladder - and reckons they Casey, 25, told the Irish Sun: 'We've been together for five years, we got engaged at the beginning of 2024 and in the midst of wedding planning we decided to knuckle down and look at buying a house. 'We didn't think it would happen as quickly as it did. 'We kind of went and made an appointment with the bank, spoke to a mortgage advisor in the bank to get an idea of what sort of figure we needed to be saving. 'We had it in our head that we needed a ten per cent deposit saved.' Casey said the couple weren't fully sure what they were getting themselves in for, but once they heard of schemes to assist first-time buyers, they started to believe their dream might just come true. She continued: 'At this point, we didn't even know where they were building houses; we hadn't even looked into that at all. 'Along the journey, we started to hear about all these schemes available to first-time buyers buying new-builds. 'The more we started looking into them, the more we were like, hang on, this is not as impossible as you might think looking at it from the outside. I'm 25 and bought my own home - here's how I used every scheme to make my dream come true 'Suddenly you've got this figure in your head, like we need to save about €40,000 deposit, but then you've got Help to Buy, which brings that down to €10,000, which is so much more doable.' But their first hopes of a home in Casey explained: 'So along the way we found out about these schemes and then we were looking into the affordable purchase scheme which is overseen by the local county council. 'We had applied for a house out in Donabate but we didn't end up getting one. 'So we took a bit of a knock there.' But it wasn't long before they were back on track. Casey said: 'Pretty soon after that we found the house that we ended up buying and it was eligible for the First Home scheme and the Help to Buy scheme which we then ended up using as well. 'It was mad how it all came together really quickly.' Casey, who represented Dublin at the Rose of Tralee, and fiancé Alex, who works in sales, first looked to the Help to Buy Scheme - an incentive helping first-time buyers get their first house. It allows those who qualify to claim back income tax and deposit interest retention tax paid to the State over the four years before making a claim. Casey and Alex were lucky enough to qualify for the full tax refund amounting to €30,000 - enough for a ten per cent deposit. This meant that the couple had to come up with the remaining €7,500 themselves. And they used the First Home Scheme - which is available to first-time buyers, self-builders, and fresh start applicants to get a foot in the door. It involves the provider handing over 20 per cent of the cost of a new home and in return, the State owns an equity share in the property which can be bought back if and when the homeowner chooses. Casey said the remaining difference of €50,000 that the couple needed to pay off represented about 13 per cent of the house, which was bought by the State under the equity scheme. She reckons they've got almost €100,000 in relief from the various schemes to be left with a €287,000 mortgage which she said she realises is 'still a lot'. Casey said the couple lived with their families while saving money for the house. She explained: 'By the time we applied for the mortgage, we had about €15,000 in savings to put towards everything. 'Once we started the mortgage application process, we continued to save over the couple of months that the whole process took. 'Obviously, you've got your stamp duty, legal fees, and everything else to pay as well, and then you've got to furnish the house and put your floors in too. 'There's no set figure, but I just think it's important that people know when you're using the schemes, you're not having to pay €30,000 or €40,000 out of your own pocket.' Casey told how the couple got advice from a mortgage broker who made the whole process a lot smoother. And she said not everyone trying to buy their own home even realises that the rent they're paying will be taken into account when it comes to mortgage eligibility. She added: 'It's hard to save money when you're renting, but a lot of people renting don't realise that the bank will take into account what you're paying every month. 'So if you're paying €1,200 a month in rent, they take that into account and say you'll be able to afford a €1,200 mortgage. 'Initially we went to the bank because I know nothing about the process from the off, I've no financial background whatsoever, I knew very little about the process. 'So we went to the bank and it was suggested to us that we could look at getting a mortgage broker, and it was the best decision we could have made. 'Our broker was unbelievable, he made the whole process such smooth sailing for us. 'So the house price was €375,000 - that's paid with the mortgage which was €287,000 and the schemes, we got €30,000 from Help to Buy off the deposit, and we used the First Home scheme that gave us the remaining money. 'That scheme is then that they own an equity share in your house and you can buy them out if you want to.' SHOP AROUND But the journey wasn't without setbacks, as the couple were refused a mortgage on one of their earliest attempts. But Casey said the trick to finding the right mortgage is to shop around as different banks have different rules. She said: 'We were refused a mortgage from one bank, and then two banks were giving us about €40,000 less than what we were looking for after they assessed our situation. 'We ended up getting what we were looking for from two other banks, so different banks look at things different ways, they all have their own systems, obviously when we got refused from the first bank we panicked. 'We had everything in order so for them to say no it was kind of a panic button. 'So it's important to know that there are several banks you can look at, your options are out there. 'That's what I'd be saying to anyone applying: apply to as many banks as possible and then you've got your pick of the bunch. 'We went from having no mortgage on a Monday to having two mortgages on a Friday.' WHAT IS THE HELP TO BUY SCHEME? IRELAND'S Help to Buy (HTB) Scheme assists first-time buyers in either: Purchasing a newly-built house or apartment Constructing a new home themselves This scheme is only applicable to properties priced at €500,000 or less, and you are required to reside in the property as your primary home. Under the Help to Buy Scheme, you can claim a refund of the income tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in Ireland during the four years preceding the year of your application. In July 2020, the HTB Scheme was expanded, introducing what is referred to as the Enhanced Help to Buy Scheme. To be eligible, you must be a first-time buyer purchasing or self-building a new residential property between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2029. (The scheme was previously available for homes bought or built between July 19, 2016 and December 31, 2016, but claims had to be made by December 31, 2019). If you are purchasing or building the property with another person, they must also be a first-time buyer. You will not be eligible if: You have previously bought or built a house or apartment, either alone or jointly with someone else. This applies even if you are now separated or divorced and have relinquished your interest in the property. You have owned a property abroad. You do not intend to use the property as your main residence for at least five years after purchasing or building it (the HTB Scheme is not available for investment properties). You have not taken out a mortgage for the property. If you have inherited or been gifted a property but wish to buy or build a new home, you may still qualify for the HTB Scheme, provided you meet all the other eligibility criteria. And Casey's advice to young people who fear never owning their own home in Ireland is to keep your eye on the prize and make use of the schemes available. And she said that while it's easy to get stuck in the narrative that buying a house is near impossible, she urged young people not to lose hope. The future homeowner said: 'Don't get bogged down in all the narratives that you hear, it's not an easy thing to do by any means but if you set your sights on it and make yourself aware of the schemes that are out there to help you, keep your options open. 'We were dead set on living in Dublin because we work in Dublin and we wanted to buy a three-bedroom house, but we ended up going for a two-bedroom house in Meath. 'So you need to manage your expectations a little bit and be a little bit flexible about what you're looking for, how realistic it is for you once you have a rough idea of your mortgage and what you can afford and how the scheme will help you. 'Keep an open mind and don't get bogged down in the negativity, it is possible, and it's not as treacherous as it might be made out to be.' And the couple, who are set to be married in 2027, are beyond excited about their big move. Casey added: 'It's really exciting, it's a really, really exciting time, we're looking at being in the house before Christmas so that will be really special. 'We're getting married in 2027 and knowing that once we're in we can get into planning the wedding properly and even just having your own space, it's really exciting.' 6 Casey believes it's not impossible to buy a house in Ireland and shared her tips 6 The kitchen and dining area will look similar to this
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Love Island's Casey O'Gorman discusses split from Gabby Allen and single life
EXCLUSIVE: Love Island: All Stars winner Casey O'Gorman has opened up about his love life like never before, revealing that he hasn't had a girlfriend since leaving the show He's been in the Love Island villa three times, has one of the show's most iconic bromances under his belt, and even walked away a winner, but Casey O'Gorman admits he's still waiting for love. In an exclusive interview, the fan-favourite Islander opens up like never before - talking marathons, villa secrets, and why despite his high-profile split from Gabby Allen, he hasn't had a girlfriend since leaving the show. 'I haven't been in a relationship since the villa,' Casey tells us with refreshing honesty. 'That probably says something.' It's a surprising confession from the Love Island: All Stars winner, whose chemistry with Gabby was a highlight of the recent All Stars series. But after their split earlier this year - described at the time as 'amicable' - Casey's love life has taken a back seat. Instead, he's focused on fitness, friendship, and figuring out what comes next. READ MORE: Michael Kors' 'stylish and fabulous' watch slashed by over £200 in limited time deal 'I guess I've just been prioritising everything else,' he says. 'It's not that I don't want a relationship. I'm open to love but right now, I'm enjoying this chapter.' And what a chapter it is. Casey's latest passion? Running marathons—and he's not doing it half-heartedly. 'I'm training for the Australian marathon right now,' he reveals. 'It's on August 31st, so not long to go. My last one was a bit chaotic because it was right after I came out of the villa. This time, I've got structure, a routine, and I'm eating properly. I'm all in.' He may be more known for dramatic recouplings than race-day prep, but Casey insists the discipline of marathon training has kept him grounded. 'After Ibiza last week and my brother's wedding, I needed a reset,' he laughs. 'This is the perfect focus.' Still, he's not lost his sense of humour. Asked if he'd go to extreme lengths for cash after, as part of a recent Tango campaign, Casey didn't hesitate: 'I honestly think I'd jump in the Thames for £10k. Shaving my head? Maybe, but only for charity. I've had this hair forever!' Casey's journey through Love Island has been anything but typical. Appearing across three different seasons, including his winning stint on All Stars, he says it wasn't about redemption - it was about being real. 'I didn't go back to change public perception,' he insists. 'I just wanted people to see the real me. By the last time I went in, I fully showed my personality. I'd found Gabby, and from that point, I felt really comfortable being myself.' Still, he's quick to admit the real win wasn't romance. It was friendship. 'Meeting Tom in my original series changed everything,' Casey says of villa best mate Tom Clare. 'We had a proper bromance, and moving in together after the show helped me figure out my next steps. That friendship meant more than anything.' Could he be Tom's best man someday? 'I'd love that! But they haven't spoken about marriage yet. Fingers crossed.' For fans obsessed with the inner workings of the villa, Casey shared how some moments aren't exactly what we see on the screen. 'Those 'I've got a text!' moments? Sometimes planned, sometimes not,' he reveals. 'They'll tell us to bring our phones out, and nothing happens. Other times, the text genuinely surprises us.' 'Some guys stumble over their speeches and have to redo them. It goes way beyond the 45 minutes you see on TV.' One thing that always stays real? The love-hate drama of challenges. 'The kissing challenge is a classic. You're blindfolded, there's no chat, just a kiss—it's hilarious. And 'Snog, Marry, Pie' is always fun. Pieing someone in the face never gets old.' While many Love Island stars have gone on to do other reality shows, Casey would like to follow in their footsteps. 'I'd love to do Strictly Come Dancing,' he says, laughing. 'Even though I can't dance to save my life. Or something like The Traitors or SAS: Who Dares Wins. I'm definitely open to being back on TV—just not Love Island again. I've done my bit!' He's also got major marathon goals. 'I want to complete all seven majors. Berlin, Tokyo, Boston, Chicago... It's a big dream but I'm committed.' But even with fans sliding into his DMs and millions watching his every move, Casey says dating post-Love Island has actually been more complicated. 'People assume you've got endless options, but I think it's harder now. You have to wonder if people like you for you, or the version they saw on TV.' So where does he think he'll meet his future partner? 'Maybe running next to me in Sydney,' he says with a grin. 'Could be Australia, America, who knows? I'm open.' With three tours in the villa under his belt, Casey's got plenty of advice for the next wave of hopefuls. 'Don't get too drunk at events, enjoy the attention while it lasts, and have a plan. Whether that's social media, going back to work, or something else—just know what you're aiming for. My DMs are always open. If any newbies want advice, I'm here.' Despite the highs and lows, Casey says he wouldn't change a thing. 'I've had such a positive experience. I haven't even watched my seasons back. I want to remember them the way I lived them.' Still, he's well aware that fame doesn't make you immune to criticism. 'You'll always get haters—even the most loved people do. You've just got to ignore it.'
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Casey steers Aghabullougue to win over Blues
Cork Premier IFC: Aghabullogue 2-11 Bantry Blues 0-12 A Luke Casey-led Aghabullogue outfit got their championship campaign off to the perfect start after outbattling Bantry Blues in Ballingeary. Aghabullougue – beaten finalists last year – hassled and harried Bantry to great effect in the first half, and won the big moments throughout to ensure they sit atop Group 1. The ever-dangerous Casey would garner 1-4 throughout the hour, but his contributions were timely, none more so than his 48th minute left-footed goal. It gave them a seven-point lead. It proved to be insurmountable for the West Cork men. Turnovers proved to be a major issue early on and that was the case for much of the first half. Multi-talented forward Casey would open scoring for Aghabullogue – from a Bantry turnover – in the 4th minute after some early waywardness. Cork underage star Dara Sheedy would find the reply for the Blues. Matthew Bradley – who linked up admirably with Casey all day would put his name on the scoresheet for the Muskerry men before the 10-minute mark. Again, that score came from a turnover. Bradley kicked a two-point free before Arthur Coakley knocked over his first with 15 gone. 0-5 to 0-2. Advantage Aghabullogue. Dara Sheedy would scuff a two-point free effort before curling a gorgeous one over off his right. Gather. Shimmy. Shoot. Score. Deficit back to two. Arthur Coakley pushed a free wide in the 24th minute and up the other end, a fast transition saw Evan O'Sullivan in on goal and he duly finished. Four-point swing. 1-5 to 0-3. After a Paddy Cronin free for Bantry, Bradley and Casey would link up for perhaps the score of the day as the clock ticked towards the break. Bradley delivery, Casey finish. Bantry almost capitalized on poor Aghabullougue defending on the stroke of half-time. A powerful Mark Óg O'Sullivan run could have yielded a goal, but his shot flew just over. An opening 30 full of tenacity would end 1-6 to 0-5 points. The game restarted and all eyes were immediately on Dara Sheedy – and Casey. Casey saw yellow for a late hit on Bantry 'keeper Shane Murray, with the Blues' sideline questioning if further action was warranted. That incident was sandwiched in between two classy left-footed scores from Sheedy. Casey and Bantry livewire Shane Keevers would swap scores thereafter, while Paul Ring and Aaron O'Sullivan points restored Aghabullogue's four-point lead in the 45th minute. Bantry would then fail to capitalize on two scoring opportunities, and along came the sucker punch. Great Casey movement saw him gather close to goal and convert expertly. A mini Bantry-revival – from Seanie O' Leary and the Sheedy brothers Dara and Jack – would follow but points from Aaron O'Sullivan and Bradley meant Aghabullogue went home happy. Scorers for Aghabullogue: L Casey 1-4, M Bradley 0-4 (1 2pt free), E O'Sullivan (1-0), A O'Sullivan 0-2 (0-1 45'), P Ring 0-1. Scorers for Bantry Blues: D Sheedy 0-5, S O'Leary 0-2 (1 2pt free), S Keevers, A Coakley (0-1f), P Cronin (0-1f), J Sheedy, M Óg O'Sullivan 0-1 each. AGHABULLOGUE: J Buckley; C Smith, D Merrick, T Long; P Ring, S Tarrant, B O'Sullivan; C Gillespie, A Murphy; A O'Sullivan, J Corkery, P O'Sullivan; M Bradley, E O'Sullivan, L Casey. Subs: C O'Sullivan for P O'Sullivan (43), O O'Connell for L Casey (blood, 51-55), O O'Connell for A O'Sullivan (64). BANTRY BLUES: S Murray; K Coakley, S Thornton, C O'Brien; D McCarthy, B Foley, M Óg O'Sullivan; R O'Mahony, E Minehane; S Keevers, A Coakley, J Sheedy; D Sheedy, K Casey, P Cronin. Subs: D Daly for E Minehane (43), S O'Leary for M Óg O'Sullivan (45), O O'Neill for P Cronin (51). Referee: Wayne King
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Follow the mice': How whistleblowers, secret lab videos brought down top scientist
The white lab mouse struggles and fights, hanging on to the side of the cage, before lying face-up in the scientist's gloved hands. According to a card on the box, the mouse was injected with a large dose of breast cancer cells into its belly before undergoing surgery. This mouse, though, looks perfectly healthy. So do its litter-mates. So do the mice in other boxes. 'There's no sign of any tumour,' said a researcher who reviewed the footage. Nor are there obvious signs of injection or surgery. The cages are labelled with a researcher's name: Mark Smyth. The video was one of several captured covertly in QIMR Berghofer's animal house by his colleagues, as it started to dawn on them something was deeply amiss. 'I never saw him injecting anything, or measuring tumour growth, or anything like that,' said Casey*, a researcher in Smyth's lab at the time who captured some of the videos. 'He had a vial that contained tumour cells. He just took the tube and threw it in the trash bin.' After an independent external investigation, QIMR Berghofer, a leading government-funded research institute, concluded Casey and other whistleblowers were right. In 2021, QIMR announced it had found substantial research misconduct by Smyth, and he left the facility. QIMR did not, and will not, discuss the details of that investigation, despite the millions of dollars in taxpayer money involved. But based on a leaked cache of documents and videos, and interviews with more than 20 former colleagues and investigators, this masthead can reveal what went on in Smyth's lab at QIMR, tracking how whistleblowers and investigators finally brought him down. Jordan*, a researcher who helped film the videos, refused to believe such large-scale scientific misconduct was going on until they lifted the mice out of the cages themselves. 'I was like: 'Oh no. We have to get out',' they said. Their videos were later handed to corruption investigators as part of a package of evidence from 10 whistleblowers who alleged that Smyth – at the time one of Australia's top cancer researchers, who received more than $42 million in taxpayer funding – was making up much of his data. 'Many people knew, and nobody said. And that's what went wrong for 20 years: everybody knew, but nobody said,' said Alex*, a staff member in Smyth's QIMR lab, who spoke anonymously over fears of damaging their career. 'Mark was bringing money to the institute, so the institute protected Mark.' In part one of this investigation, this masthead charted Smyth's rise to 'godlike' status as one of Australia's most important cancer researchers at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, despite ultimately unproven allegations of misconduct against him. Smyth was hired by QIMR in 2012, but left Peter MacCallum in 2013 – months after his PhD student had reported him for allegedly providing falsified mouse data. His new labs at QIMR were a far cry from the cramped spaces at Peter Mac. The Brisbane-based research centre had just received what was then reportedly the largest charitable donation in Australia's history: $50 million from a local philanthropist. In 2013, it opened a cutting-edge 13-storey research building, wrapped in glass and with views of the Brisbane river; Smyth would take up residence here. 'I'm sure Mark would have been approached by a lot of different places to move. QIMR was new and had a pile of money,' said Brett*, a colleague from Smyth's Peter Mac days who spoke anonymously to protect his career. Loading Smyth was made head of QIMR's Immunology in Cancer and Infection Laboratory. In 2015, QIMR gave its new hire the QIMR Berghofer Prize for Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Research; by 2019 he sat at the top of the institute's '500 Club' for researchers with publications cited more than 500 times. 'He was like a publishing machine, basically,' said Brett*. 'Science is based on the publications you get, and the grants that flow from that. He published a hell of a lot of papers, basically. 'He seemed to produce work that was surprisingly fast. He must be working 20 hours a day.' Smyth was so fast, colleagues at QIMR felt ashamed of their own lab skills and work ethic. 'I know many other people had the same feeling – they were really feeling they were not good at their work, because Mark was so fast,' said Alex*. While Smyth's institute gave him awards, his lab was going off the rails. 'The vibe was quite toxic. It was the worst place I've ever worked,' said Jordan*. Science is a cutthroat industry, but Smyth seemed to deliberately pit his lab team against each other. This claim was echoed in QIMR's abridged public report of its investigation, which found Smyth bullied staff. As the realisation that something was badly amiss dawned on his team, they did not know who to talk to – or who was aware of Smyth's secret. 'It was a lab of secrets, and none of us could talk about it. If you'd been there long enough, you twigged that things weren't right, but then you did not know who you could talk to about it. You did not know who you could trust,' said Jordan*. Typically, a laboratory head, particularly one as famous as Smyth, would delegate nearly all their experimental work to junior researchers. But Smyth wanted to do nearly all his mouse experiments himself. In 2019, Smyth claimed to personally use 5000 mice, about five times the lab's other researchers, according to a brief of evidence compiled by a lawyer from accounts from 10 whistleblowers and submitted to QIMR and Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission (QCCC). 'I was like, wow, he's still doing experiments, and he has this big lab,' said Casey*. 'Then I started to wonder: when does he do those experiments? Because I was in the lab long hours. And I never saw Mark doing an experiment.' Casey* brought up their concerns with other lab members. 'They started laughing. 'He's probably not doing the experiments at all.' I was shocked. So everyone knows about this, but no one does anything about it? He's just openly fabricating data?' Smyth's experiments were always conducted in isolation, according to the whistleblower brief, even those typically requiring multiple scientists. He often claimed to be working improbably early in the morning or late at night, alone in the lab. He also managed to publish 238 papers in his seven years at QIMR, while speaking at international conferences, writing grant applications, and managing a large team of junior scientists. 'It seems physically impossible,' the whistleblower brief reads. 'Even if Smyth were to spend all night, every night in the animal house … it would still be impossible for him to do all the experimental work he alleges he is doing.' Alex*, one of the whistleblowers, told this masthead that Smyth's alleged conduct that was investigated at Peter Mac – where he was accused of making up mice before being cleared – was different to that at QIMR. This time, the mice existed – the whistleblowers claimed he just wasn't injecting them. 'He was very cautious about covering his bases,' they said. 'He's not a stupid guy – he's very, very smart.' The whistleblower brief alleges Smyth would sometimes throw away cancerous cells meant to be injected into mice. In other cases, he would inject cells after they had spent hours warming on the bench, rendering them useless. Many mice showed no signs of experimentation while the data always seemed to produce 'suspiciously 'perfect' results', the brief alleges. And Smyth's staff often seemed unable to reproduce his perfect results. 'Mark could get it to work all the time, and nobody else could get it to work,' said Jordan*. 'We were just like: Mark was a stealthy science genius, how is he doing this? But that looks so dumb now.' One researcher, worried Smyth might tamper with their experiments, asked for additional mouse testing. Smyth refused, and emailed a sharp response: 'If you are implying we might not be trusted and break the rules, it is insulting to all of us. Please show a bit more tact writing emails, if you want people to keep helping you.' 'You have to show some judgement or research science will be a very difficult place for you to be long term.' Smyth himself has refused to publicly address the allegations, including when this masthead approached him at a house in Brisbane recently, but he still has defenders. 'I never saw any evidence of research misconduct,' says one co-author. Smyth 'was usually the first into work and the last to leave,' and worked most weekends, they said. Smyth always stressed the importance of good record-keeping. 'QIMR has failed to show me any substantive evidence of his accusations,' they said. 'It felt like the investigation was out to get Mark.' Smyth has published hundreds of papers, many of which have multiple, sometimes dozens, of co-authors. This masthead does not suggest they were party to, or knew of, his research misconduct. The co-author said several of their papers with Smyth were investigated by QIMR. All Smyth's work on the papers were verified, they said. Much of the evidence against Smyth seemed to come from data about where Smyth was at QIMR when experiments were apparently being run, they said. Smyth could have forgotten his access card or used someone else's, the co-author said. He may have been able to perform experiments much quicker than other scientists because of his seniority and experience, they said. 'If you asked any researcher in the world to 'prove' they did an experiment, they couldn't,' they said. 'Can you prove you had cells in your needle? No. That kind of 'proof' doesn't exist in day-to-day science.' One of Smyth's key research focuses at QIMR, as it had been at Peter Mac, was CD96 – the receptor on immune cells he hoped to turn into a cancer-buster. When Casey* joined the lab, they could not seem to replicate Smyth's work. 'I do not see CD96 as a potent target for cancer immunotherapy,' Casey* told this masthead. 'My personal opinion is that it does not do much.' It was the CD96 work that finally triggered Jordan* to try to blow the whistle. 'This is going to affect people's health and the direction of clinical trials. People shouldn't get an unproven and pointless treatment.' A treatment developed by global pharmaceutical giant GSK, at least partly based on Smyth's work, is going through clinical trials. The company insists it has robust scientific evidence behind those trials. If so many people suspected Smyth's misconduct, why did it take so long to bring him down? Smyth was enormously valuable to the institute. An external review ordered by QIMR found it treated him like a 'star' and required everyone to support him. 'Reputation is everything, everything, at QIMR,' said one former colleague, speaking under condition of anonymity to protect relationships. 'If you can bring money into an institute, a lot of things get overlooked,' said Jordan*. 'We did not feel like anyone at QIMR would believe us.' The review also found Smyth was 'a bully who used his reputation, status and power to intimidate'. The review noted that these problems started as soon as Smyth walked into the building in 2013; only one year later, a whistleblower resigned. The way Smyth treated them – and caused QIMR's HR department to treat them – was 'disgraceful'. Smyth accused them of forging their job application and faking their CV, and called them an 'idiot'. Smyth bullied researchers who raised research integrity concerns; they worried they would be sacked if they reported him. 'I've never met a research misconduct case that doesn't involve bullying,' said Elizabeth Lacey, a lawyer specialising in the field. 'The ones who are so hell-bent on getting away with it. It's all about how good you can make yourself look. 'And anything is a slight. So then anyone who might question you has to be taken down.' QIMR had no formal research integrity office until 2018, leaving researchers with HR. 'It was perceived that [human resources] would do nothing if a report were made,' the review found. 'That perception reflected the fact HR did not do anything in relation to complaints about Professor Smyth.' One whistleblower did make a report to HR, but was told 'they can't do anything about it because Mark just brings so much money to the institute'. The first part of this masthead's investigation revealed Smyth had been secretly investigated for research misconduct by Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre before he moved to QIMR. He was cleared, but the secret got out. News of the investigation soon did the rounds at QIMR. That, too, kept people from reporting. Feeling blocked, one young researcher confided in 2017 to a third party – Roberta*, a research manager at a charity that funds medical research at QIMR. The researcher opted to leave QIMR quietly rather than push the complaint. Six months later, another researcher approached Roberta* with the same story. 'They did not have a safe space internally. It just wasn't available. They did not feel if they went to their institution they could get the support they wanted. They came to me because I was independent,' Roberta* said, speaking under condition of anonymity to protect the charity. 'It is very hard as a young researcher to bring forward concerns about a multimillion-dollar grant winner. The institution has a vested interest. This man had brought them in a fortune.' Roberta* connected them with Professor David Vaux, one of Australia's most important cancer researchers, who was already suspicious of Smyth. Vaux brought Lacey on board. The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research picked up the legal tab, meaning one of Australia's leading research institutes was now paying to investigate another leading research hub. 'I had three, and then four, and then five. After a very short time I had 12 people who were impacted by him,' said Lacey. Her core investigative strategy was simple: follow the mice. 'The mice records, the animal records in the animal house, the CCTV footage will show when [Smyth] came in. Even if you're skilled, it would take, say, 45 minutes per mouse to inject this tumour. So he needs to be in the lab for at least 3 hours. But actually he was there for 25 minutes.' Lacey interviewed the whistleblowers individually. Their stories all matched, she said. 'The evidence was overwhelming and compelling.' In April 2020, she put together a brief of evidence and submitted it initially to the QCCC. The process shows the challenges of calling out scientific misconduct. The QCCC declined to investigate, arguing it 'did not have jurisdiction,' Lacey said. It asked Lacey's team to inform QIMR instead. Lacey's team declined, thinking QIMR already knew about the allegations. They were also concerned about revealing the whistleblowers' identities. In July, one of the whistleblowers separately submitted a complaint about Smyth, headed 'scientific fraud', to the National Health and Medical Research Council. The Office of Australia's Chief Scientist received a similar set of complaints. Both referred the complainant to QIMR, noting that it was not their remit to independently investigate allegations of research misconduct. The investigation seemed stuck. Then, in 2020, QIMR appointed a new chief executive, Professor Fabienne Mackay. Vaux and Lacey put together a fresh complaint that was met with a 'textbook response'. 'It was great. It was like Christmas,' says Lacey. QIMR now accepts it mishandled concerns about Smyth. 'While the institute didn't know about the misconduct, it ought to have known,' a QIMR spokesman said. 'Research integrity and quality is fundamentally important to the Institute. QIMR Berghofer's Council undertook extensive reforms to assure and protect research integrity since being made aware of the allegations, and apologised for past failings.' Smyth published 238 papers while he worked at QIMR. So far, just eight have been formally retracted and seven corrected. This does not surprise Vaux. A single retraction can often take years, and care must be taken in retraction statements to minimise the effects on innocent co-authors. Smyth's former co-author Robert* said catching fraud is very difficult, as individual scientists typically perform and record every step in an experiment. 'Without someone monitoring every step of the process, it would be very easy to fabricate that data. Particularly for someone at Mark's level. How do you monitor a professor?' QIMR conducted two lower-level investigations of Smyth over research integrity concerns before the whistleblower complaint, this masthead can reveal. In both cases, no problems were found. Without more detailed information, executives at QIMR felt they could not pursue an in-depth forensic investigation. 'The material was there, the mice were there, the data was collected,' one said, speaking anonymously to reveal confidential information. 'You can see how you cannot see what's going on, if you're not looking for the forensic evidence – and you cannot really look for that without due cause.' Why did Smyth, already a god, choose to do what he did? Smyth has never spoken about the matter. Approached at a Brisbane home, he refused to answer questions and did not respond to calls or emails. 'Mark is an astonishing person,' said one former colleague-turned-investigator, speaking anonymously to detail confidential information. 'I still struggle to understand how he could have been so dumb.' Everyone has a different theory. 'I think he's sick. His value system is so different from mine. This is something that is too difficult for me to understand, because it's too far away,' said Alex*, who worked closely with him. Co-authors and former lab members, speaking anonymously to protect their careers, think it's about ego and arrogance. 'Maybe he likes the title of most-cited immunologist, and maybe all the fanfare,' said one. Science essentially operates on an honour system – if a scientist says they did an experiment, people believe them – and with few watchdogs. 'I think it got to the point where he maybe realised he could get away with stuff,' says a former colleague, speaking anonymously to protect their career. 'I'd be surprised if he was the only one.' Science is also characterised by a 'publish or perish' mentality, producing pressure to repeat earlier successes. 'I wonder whether Mark got caught up. He pushed it too hard, and he was generating results that got him to a level he wasn't able to sustain, and so he felt that level of pressure,' said Brett*. Taxpayers spend billions of dollars a year supporting what Australians are told is a world-class science system; tin-rattling charities raise hundreds of millions more from our goodwill. To many, the Smyth case exposes the system's rotted foundations. 'Has the system failed everyone who has acted with integrity? Yes,' says Lacey. 'What all these poor whistleblowers found is when you put your head above the parapet, it gets shot off. So few of them have remained in science.' Vaux says research institutes – which rely on their public reputation to solicit grants and donations – have a strong incentive to sweep problems under the carpet. Bruce Lander was the first Independent Commissioner Against Corruption in South Australia and led QIMR's external investigation into the Smyth matter. He was so concerned by what he unearthed he demanded QIMR allow him to write a second report, one advocating for an independent Office of Research Integrity. He argues the current system sees all allegations of research misconduct investigated by the institution where the wrongdoing allegedly occurred. A young researcher would need to be courageous indeed to blow the whistle on their boss to their employer. 'There is a real disincentive for the institution to investigate its own researchers,' Lander wrote.
