My experience is that many prominent professors behave in a monopolistic way. That is, they try to sabotage theses, grant applications and publications in review that go against their own research.
Lots of different areas, particularly in medicine, have slowed down or stagnated as a consequence of this. For example, the connection between immunity and cancer was obvious in the 1990s but it took many uphill battles to get funding for immunotherapies. Proponents of somatic mutations as a cause of cancer have typically taken most of the research funds and blocked alternative ideas.
Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, T1D, etc. have pretty similar stories.
Luckily less politically driven funding agencies and, ultimately, VCs are introducing some efficiency back into the system.
Lots of different areas, particularly in medicine, have slowed down or stagnated as a consequence of this. For example, the connection between immunity and cancer was obvious in the 1990s but it took many uphill battles to get funding for immunotherapies. Proponents of somatic mutations as a cause of cancer have typically taken most of the research funds and blocked alternative ideas.
Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, T1D, etc. have pretty similar stories.
Luckily less politically driven funding agencies and, ultimately, VCs are introducing some efficiency back into the system.