Utrecht University has criticized associate professor of pharmacology Joris Verster for insufficient transparency regarding commercial consultancy work that overlapped with his academic research on hangover cures and energy drink impacts.
While the university had granted Verster permission to perform external consulting, officials determined that he failed to adequately disclose the full scope of these commercial activities when presenting himself as an academic researcher.
Verster conducted studies through his sole proprietorship, NeuroClinics, evaluating a hangover prevention drug developed by Sen-Jam Pharmaceuticals.
His conclusions downplayed fears that such remedies would encourage excessive alcohol consumption based on survey data collected from students.
"Three-quarters of the young people surveyed said they would use the drug, and the majority also indicated that they would not drink more," said Verster.
Experts in medical ethics and research methodology questioned the validity and independence of those findings.
Frits Rosendaal, a professor of epidemiology at Leiden University Medical Center, stated in Trouw that questionnaire responses are insufficient to predict real-world actions.
"A questionnaire provides no conclusive evidence at all about how people will behave in the future," said Rosendaal.
The methodology also drew criticism from ethics experts who argued that institutional credibility was misused for commercial interests.
Mariëtte van den Hoven, a professor of medical ethics at Amsterdam UMC, highlighted the ethical breach caused by mixing academic and private roles.
"Where you use the university to promote your personal goals," said van den Hoven.
Verster defended his past academic practices and maintained that his disclosures met standard transparency requirements.
"I am a consultant for many companies and always include that in all my papers, even if it only involves a small role.
I informed the UU about my work as a consultant and the university approved it," he said.
Addressing why he used his academic affiliation in commercial papers, Verster noted that hangover research was integral to his university position.
"Hangover research is part of my academic activities," he said.
Verster confirmed that he went on sick leave on May 1 and subsequently suspended all professional operations, including his consultancy work.
This is not the first time Verster's relationship with corporate sponsors has drawn internal scrutiny.
Previous investigations by the university's integrity committee evaluated his studies on Red Bull, which had concluded that the energy drink improved driving performance and posed no unique health risks when combined with alcohol.
While the committee initially found no direct conflict of interest regarding the study results, it criticized Verster for receiving payments from Red Bull through his private firm.
Investigative outlet Investico later reported that Verster co-authored at least 13 subsequent Red Bull-funded papers—all presenting favorable outcomes for the beverage brand—with direct personal payments occurring in two of those studies.
