Former Stanford Research Coordinator Convicted Of Crime

PALO ALTO, CA — A former Stanford University research coordinator has been convicted of unlawfully accessing and altering data in a breast cancer study database just hours after being fired, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

A federal jury found Naheed Mangi, 66, guilty of intentional damage to a protected computer and accessing a protected computer without authorization following a two-week trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila. The verdict was delivered late Friday.

Prosecutors said Mangi worked at Stanford’s Cancer Clinical Trials Office from September 2012 to August 2013, where she helped monitor clinical research and enter patient data. She was assigned to the Velvet Breast Cancer MO27782 Study, a Genentech-sponsored trial evaluating an experimental treatment for metastatic and locally advanced breast cancer.

On Aug. 19, 2013, Stanford terminated Mangi’s employment and moved to revoke her computer access. However, her credentials remained active for several hours. That evening, Mangi logged into the study database without authorization, replacing patient medical data with false information and insults directed at her former supervisor, prosecutors said.

Her actions prompted an internal investigation at Stanford, requiring officials to reenter all affected patient data and report the breach to federal regulators, including the FDA. The university incurred thousands of dollars in financial losses as a result of the tampering.

“Naheed Mangi intentionally tampered with a breast cancer research database by entering false information and personal insults,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins. “Her senseless actions undermined a study into the safety and efficacy of a new treatment for breast cancer patients.”

Mangi was convicted of two counts of Intentional Damage to a Protected Computer and one count of Accessing a Protected Computer Without Authorization. She faces up to 10 years in prison for each count of intentional damage and one year for unauthorized access.

Her sentencing is scheduled for July 21, 2025.

The U.S. Secret Service led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nikhil Bhagat and Matthew Chang prosecuting the case.