FINAL FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

NIH GUIDE, Volume 22, Number 23, June 25, 1993



P.T. 34



Keywords:

  Ethics/Values in Science & Technol 



National Institutes of Health



The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has begun publication of final

findings of scientific misconduct involving Public Health Service

research.  This information will assist in correcting the scientific

literature, will serve an educational and deterrent purpose, and will

assist institutional officials in making informed decisions affecting

their institution.  Fourteen cases that have been closed since the

ORI was established on May 29, 1992 have been published in the

Federal Register (58FR33830, June 21, 1993).



To ensure that officials of institutions receiving Public Health

Service research funds, or applying for such funds, are made aware of

these findings of scientific misconduct, this information is also

being published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts.  Future

cases will be published in the Federal Register and the NIH Guide

individually as cases are closed.



Final findings of scientific misconduct have been made in the

following cases:



James H. Freisheim, Ph.D., Medical College of Ohio.  An inquiry and

an investigation conducted by the University found that Dr. Freisheim

had submitted a research grant application to the National Institutes

of Health which contained substantial portions plagiarized from

another scientist's grant application.  Dr. Freisheim had served as

an assigned reviewer of the other scientist's application when it was

reviewed about two years earlier by an NIH Study Section.  During the

inquiry, Dr. Freisheim produced a handwritten draft of the

plagiarized material that he claimed he had written before the other

scientist had submitted his grant application, and that therefore the

other scientist had plagiarized Dr. Freisheim's work.  The

investigation reviewed the handwritten draft and concluded that it

had been written much later than purported by Dr. Freisheim, possibly

during the inquiry to establish the basis for his defense.  The

investigation also concluded that Dr. Freisheim had plagiarized

material for two post-doctoral fellowship applications to the NIH.

The ORI concurred in the University's findings, and Dr. Freisheim has

been debarred from receiving Federal grant or contract funds for a

period of three years beginning May 5, 1993.  He has also been

required, for a ten year period beginning May 5, 1993, to certify

that future applications for research support submitted to the PHS

are his own work, and he has been prohibited from serving on PHS

Advisory Committees or review groups for the same period.



Judy Guffee, University of Miami.  An investigation conducted by the

University found that Ms. Guffee had fabricated data in a research

project that was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of

Health.  Ms. Guffee admitted to falsifying the labeling of solutions

alleged to contain polyclonal antiserum, when in fact she filled the

tubes with fetal calf serum.  The investigation concluded that this

was done to hide the fact that the animal preparation used to

generate the polyclonal antiserum had died before large quantities of

antiserum could be produced.  Records indicating collection of large

quantities of serum from the animal over a two-year period were also

fabricated.  ORI concurred in the University's finding and has

required, for a five year period beginning January 7, 1993, that she

and the institution submit a certification with any PHS fellowship or

grant application or contract proposal prepared by her attesting to

the accuracy of the statements therein.



Raymond J. Ivatt, Ph.D., Cetus Corporation, Emeryville, CA.  An

investigation conducted by the Corporation found that Dr. Ivatt

falsified progress reports in a research project grant supported by

the National Institutes of Health.  Dr. Ivatt reported progress from

an earlier budget period, claiming that the work had been done during

the period for which current funds were awarded.  The ORI concurred

with the Corporation's findings and has required that applications

for PHS research support and reports of PHS sponsored research

involving Dr. Ivatt be reviewed and certified by the sponsoring

institution for the reliability and accuracy of the application,

contract proposal, or report.  Dr. Ivatt is also prohibited from

serving on PHS Advisory Committees, boards, or peer review groups.

These actions are effective for 3 years beginning February 28, 1993.



Mark M. Kowalski, M.D., Ph.D., Dana Farber Cancer Institute and

Harvard University.  An investigation conducted by the Institute

found that Dr. Kowalski had plagiarized a complete grant application

and submitted it to the National Institutes of Health.  He copied the

previously funded grant application of his former mentor and

submitted it as his own work.  The ORI concurred in the Institute's

finding and has required that, for any PHS application, proposal or

report prepared by Dr. Kowalski, a signed affirmation be submitted

that all material is entirely his own work or accurately attributed

to others.  In addition, he has been prohibited by the ORI from

serving on Public Health Service Advisory Committees, Boards, or

review groups.  These actions became effective January 6, 1993 for a

three year period.



Paul F. Langlois, D.Sc.N., Laboratory of Clinical Investigation,

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.  An inquiry by

the NIAID and a subsequent investigation conducted by the former

Office of Scientific Integrity at the National Institutes of Health

concluded that Dr. Langlois, a former post-doctoral fellow in the

laboratory, had falsified and fabricated data in immunological

research.  Dr. Langlois presented to his supervisor computer

printouts and graphs for which primary data did not exist.  Dr.

Langlois admitted to fabricating the data.  Dr. Langlois also

admitted to manipulating the reagents used by other laboratory

personnel in efforts to replicate his findings, spiking them with

radioactive antibody to show positive results. The Public Health

Service recommended that Dr. Langlois be debarred from receiving

Federal grant or contract funds for a three year period, and that he

be prohibited from serving on PHS Advisory Committees, Boards, or

peer review groups for three years.  Dr. Langlois appealed the term

of the proposed debarment to a Research Integrity Adjudications Panel

of the HHS Departmental Appeals Board, but the Panel upheld the PHS

recommendation.  Accordingly, Dr. Langlois has been debarred for

three years beginning May 12, 1993, and is prohibited from serving on

PHS Advisory Committees, Boards, or peer review groups for the same

period. The fabricated and falsified data was never published in the

scientific literature.



Tian-Shing Lee, M.D., Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School.

An investigation conducted by Harvard found that Dr. Lee, a former

post-doctoral fellow at the Joslin Diabetes Center, fabricated and

falsified data in research on diabetes supported by the National Eye

Institute.  Primary data was missing for almost half of the figures

and tables in a series of published papers and manuscripts prepared

by Dr. Lee.  Many instances of data fabrication and falsification

were found, including presenting data for cell counts that were never

performed, indicating that multiple data points were determined when

in fact only a single data point was obtained, eliminating the

highest or lowest values in sets of experimental readings, alteration

or transposition of data to achieve a desired experimental result,

and misrepresentation of the time intervals at which data was

collected.  The Office of Research Integrity concurred in the

University's findings.  Dr. Lee has been debarred from receiving

Federal grants or contracts and is prohibited from serving on Public

Health Service Advisory Committees, Boards, or peer review groups for

a five year period beginning April 18, 1993.  Harvard University

notified the four scientific journals which had published papers

containing data fabricated or falsified by Dr. Lee that the papers

should be retracted.  These papers are: "Differential regulation of

protein kinase C and (Na,K)-adenosine triphosphatase activities by

elevated glucose level in retinal capillary endothelial cell" Journal

of Clinical Investigation, 83: 90-94, 1989; "Endothelin stimulates a

sustained 1,2-diacylglycerool increase and protein kinase C

activation in bovine aortic smooth muscle cells" Biochemical and

Biophysical Research Communications, 162: 381-386, 1989: "Activation

of protein kinase C by elevation of glucose concentration: Proposal

for a mechanism in the development of diabetic vascular

complications" Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 86:

5141-5145, 1989; and "Characterization of endothelin receptors and

effects of endothelin on diacylglycerol and protein kinase C in

retinal capillary pericytes" Diabetes, 38: 1642-1646, 1989.



Anthony A. Paparo, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University.  An

investigation conducted by the University found that Dr. Paparo had

falsified data in publications citing support by a grant from the

National Institutes of Health.  He used the same micrograph in two

papers, while stating that the micrographs had been obtained from two

different biological species of mussel.  Multiple instances were

found of other such falsification of micrographs and radioisotope

data in published scientific articles which were not supported by the

PHS.  The ORI concurred in the University's finding and has

prohibited Dr. Paparo from serving on Public Health Service Advisory

Committees, Boards, or review groups for a three year period.  He has

also been debarred from receiving Federal grants or contracts for

three years, effective April 5, 1993.  The two published papers which

cited PHS support are: "The effect of STH and 6-OH-DOPA on the SEM of

the branchial nerve and visceral ganglion of the bivalve Elliptio

companata as it relates to ciliary activity" Comparative Biochemistry

and Physiology, 51: 169-173, 1975; "The effect of STH on the SEM and

frequency response of the branchial nerve in Mytilus Edulis as it

relates to ciliary activity" Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology,

51: 165-168, 1975.  The University has notified the editor of this

journal, and the editors of other journals in which Dr. Paparo

published, about the problems identified in the investigation.



Leo A. Paquette, Ph.D., Ohio State University.  An investigation

conducted by the University found that Dr. Paquette had submitted a

grant application to the National Institutes of Health in which

sections of the research design were plagiarized from an unfunded

grant application written by another scientist.  Dr. Paquette had

received the other scientist's application in confidence as a peer

reviewer for the NIH.  Dr. Paquette claimed that inclusion of the

other scientist's text was inadvertent; he said that he had given the

other scientist's application to a postdoctoral fellow, whom Dr.

Paquette refused to name, for an educational exercise, and that text

had somehow been inadvertently used in his own application.  The ORI

concurred in the University's finding of misconduct.  Dr. Paquette

stated that he was accepting full responsibility for this occurrence.

The ORI has required institutional certification of proper

attribution in any future grant proposals to the PHS from Dr.

Paquette and has prohibited him from serving on Public Health Service

Advisory Committees, Boards, or review groups.  These actions are

effective for a ten year period beginning December 31, 1992.



Roger Poisson, M.D., St. Luc Hospital, Montreal, Canada.  An

investigation conducted by the Division of Research Investigations of

the ORI found that Dr. Poisson had fabricated and falsified research

data in clinical trials supported by a cooperative agreement from the

National Institutes of Health.  Dr. Poisson fabricated or falsified

data related to laboratory tests and dates of procedures in 115

separate instances dating from 1977 through 1990.  The ORI has

prohibited Dr. Poisson from serving on Public Health Advisory

Committees, Boards, or review groups for an eight year period.  Dr.

Poisson has also been debarred from receiving Federal grants or

contracts for an eight year period.  These actions became effective

March 30, 1993.  The National Cancer Institute cooperative clinical

trials group which sponsored the clinical trials, the National

Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), plans to publish

corrected analyses of affected studies.



Sheela Ramasubban, University of Houston.  An investigation conducted

by the University found that Ms. Ramasubban, a former Master's degree

student in the Department of Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences,

falsified and fabricated data in research on the biochemical basis of

rhythmic behaviors, supported by a grant from the National Institute

of Mental Health.  Ms. Ramasubban admitted to the investigation

committee that she had altered the data in her notebooks and

fabricated data in a number of instances.  A hearing conducted by the

University upheld the investigative findings of scientific

misconduct.  The ORI concurred in the University's findings, and Ms.

Ramasubban has been debarred from eligibility for and involvement in

Federal grants and contracts for a three-year period beginning May

18, 1993.  Ms. Ramasubban has also been required to provide special

certification for the accuracy and reliability of any PHS research

fellowship application or contract proposal for a three-year period

beginning December 1, 1992.  The falsified and fabricated data did

not appear in any scientific publications.



Mitchell H. Rosner, National Cancer Institute.  An inquiry conducted

by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and a subsequent investigation

conducted by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) found that Mr.

Rosner, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute-NIH Scholar in residence at

the NCI, falsified research on embryonic development in mice.  Mr.

Rosner diluted control samples that were injected into mouse germ

cells so that the control material would have a different effect on

embryonic development from the experimental samples.  The results of

these experiments were published in the journal Cell, demonstrating

that a certain regulatory protein was essential for normal embryonic

development.  In later efforts by Mr. Rosner's collaborators and

supervisors to replicate the original findings, Mr. Rosner again

diluted control samples before their injection into mouse germ cells,

in order to obtain the previous results.  Mr. Rosner admitted to

these acts of falsification, and has signed an agreement with the

Office of Research Integrity that he will exclude himself for a five

year period beginning April 1, 1992 from any Federal grants or

contracts, and from serving on any Public Health Service advisory

committees. The publication containing the falsified results (Cell,

64: 1103-1110, 1991) has been retracted by a notice in Cell, 69: 724,

1992.



Craig T. Shelley, M.D., University of Tennessee at Memphis.  Dr.

Shelley was a neurosurgical resident at the University of Tennessee

and a former resident fellow at the National Institute of

Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health.

The University of Tennessee conducted an inquiry into allegations

that Dr. Shelley had fabricated and falsified data in research on

brain tumors.  A followup investigation by the former Office of

Scientific Integrity (OSI) confirmed that Dr. Shelley had altered an

autoradiographic slide so that data from a single tumor were made to

look as though several tumors were tested.  Dr. Shelley admitted to

falsifying the slide and falsely reporting the source of a clonal

cell line.  He also admitted that he had created other data by

improperly selecting tissues so the results presented would support

his hypothesis.  The Office of Research Integrity concurred in the

University's findings and the OSI findings, and has prohibited Dr.

Shelley from serving on Public Health Service advisory or review

committees for a three year period beginning October 10, 1992.  Dr.

Shelley was also debarred from receiving Federal grants or contracts

for a three year period, beginning April 7, 1993.  The fabricated and

falsified data did not appear in any publications.



Michael A. Sherer, M.D., Addiction Research Center (ARC), National

Institute on Drug Abuse.  An investigation conducted by the former

Office of Scientific Integrity found that Dr. Sherer had falsified

the nature, quality and methodology for data collection and

behavioral ratings as well as the descriptions in two publications

arising from research at the ARC in 1989.  The ORI has required

institutional certification of the reliability of the proposed

research and the underlying data for any future PHS grant

applications and publications submitted by Dr. Sherer, and

notification of the advisory council of the funding agency reviewing

such applications about the finding of scientific misconduct.  Dr.

Sherer has also been prohibited from serving on Public Health Service

Advisory Committees, Boards, or review groups.  These actions are

effective for a three year period, beginning November 9, 1992.  Dr.

Sherer has also been required to submit a letter of retraction for

the article "Suspiciousness induced by four-hour intravenous

infusions of cocaine", Archives of General Psychiatry, 45: 673-677,

1988, and a letter of correction for the article "Intravenous

cocaine: Psychiatric effects", Biological Psychiatry, 24: 865-885,

1988.



Raphael B. Stricker, M.D., University of California at San Francisco.

An investigation conducted by the University found that Dr. Stricker

falsified data for a manuscript and a PHS-supported publication

reporting research on AIDS.  In the manuscript, Dr. Stricker

selectively suppressed data that did not support his hypothesis, and

reported consistently positive data whereas only one of four

experiments had produced positive results.  In the publication, Dr.

Stricker reported that an antibody was found in 29 of 30 homosexuals,

but not found in non-homosexuals.  However, Dr. Stricker's control

data, which he suppressed, showed the antibody in 33 of 65 non-

homosexuals.  The falsified data was used as the basis for a grant

application to the National Institutes of Health.  The ORI concurred

in the University's finding.  Dr. Stricker executed a Voluntary

Exclusion and Settlement Agreement in which he has agreed not to

apply for Federal grant or contract funds and will not serve on PHS

advisory committees, boards or peer review groups for a three year

period beginning April 1, 1993.  The publication "Target platelet

antigen in homosexual men with immune thrombocytopenia" in the New

England Journal of Medicine, 313: 1315-1380, 1985 has been retracted

(New England Journal of Medicine, 325: 1487,1991).



INQUIRIES



The Office of Research Integrity will continue to publish findings of

scientific misconduct as further cases are closed.  For further

information, contact:



Director, Division of Research Investigations

Office of Research Integrity

Telephone:  (301) 443-5330



.

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