So? They can do what they like, just like Lena could for the original image. Hell, I applaud them for it!
I also think Lena looks beautiful in the commonly used image, and it doesn’t bother ME one bit that the image shows up in research.
But all of that is completely separate from whether it is appropriate to use a cropped playboy image in professional settings (it should be UN-cropped, am I right fellas? /s). However, if it genuinely offends the people around me, or makes them feel marginalized or less valued, well then it DOES start to bother me a little bit.
It’s OK to change the world in a way that doesn’t affect you but improves the life of somebody else.