Psychiatry researcher Alexander Neumeister is accused of using research funding from the National Institutes of Health and New York University to pay for travel expenses for a professional ballet dancer, according to a STAT report.
Mr. Neumeister reportedly used tens of thousands of those funds to repeatedly visit the individual in Salt Lake City and to fly her to visit him in New York City multiple times.
The allegations are laid out in a complaint filed in federal court. The report states the complaint alleges Mr. Neumeister "used a payment card that drew either directly from NYU funds or from funding allocated by the National Institute on Mental Health."
STAT reports Mr. Neumeister also allegedly used NIH grant money to fund other travel and bar tabs.
Mr. Neumeister previously worked as a psychiatric researcher at NYU. However, he was placed on leave after allegations surfaced that he "had falsified records and failed to provide adequate oversight for research impacting participants with severe mental health issues," according to the report. A federal investigation into those allegations is ongoing. Mr. Neumeister now reportedly works at the Catholic University of Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
NYU confirmed to STAT Mr. Neumeister no longer works there but did not provide additional comment as far as his previous actions while an investigation is ongoing. The publication was unable to reach Mr. Neumeister or the Catholic University of Bukavu for comment.