FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

Release Date:  October 10, 2000

NOTICE:  OD-01-002

Department of Health and Human Services

Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and the 
Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final action in the following case:

Caroline E. Garey, Boston College: Based on the Report and Addendum of the 
Boston College Research Misconduct Investigation Committee and additional 
analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, the U.S. Public Health 
Service (PHS) finds that Ms. Caroline E. Garey, former doctoral student, 
Boston College, engaged in scientific misconduct by falsifying research 
supported by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes (NINDS), 
National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant R01 NS23355.

Specifically, as a graduate student at Boston College, Ms. Garey falsified 
restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) data for ABP and DBA backcross 
mice DNA samples by misrepresenting results from multiple assays of identical 
backcross ABP DNA samples as being from different animals and misrepresenting 
the autoradiograms of backcross ABP DNA samples as the results from 
experiments on backcross DBA mice.  Ms. Garey reported this falsified data in 
her doctoral dissertation,  Defect in the ceruloplasmin gene associated with 
epilepsy in the EL mouse,  and in an article in Nature Genetics 6:426-431, 
1994.  She caused her falsified data to be reported by her laboratory director 
in NINDS, NIH, grant application 2 R01 NS23355-08A1 and at an international 
workshop on epilepsy on September 24, 1994.  Ms. Garey also fabricated a 
translation table that she used to assign falsified RFLP data to individual 
backcross DBA mice.  As a result of falsifying these assays over a minimum of 
two and one-half years, none of Ms. Garey’s research can be considered 
reliable and the Nature Genetics publication has been retracted.  These 
actions adversely and materially affected the laboratory’s ongoing research on 
the genetic causes of epilepsy.

Ms. Garey also has engaged in a pattern of dishonest conduct that indicates 
that she is not presently responsible to be a steward of Federal funds.  This 
pattern of behavior includes (1) a history of falsely claiming that she has 
performed scientific experiments when she has not, and (2) repeated instances 
in which she has misrepresented her credentials to prospective employers, 
colleagues, customers, and the general public as including a Ph.D. degree even 
though Boston College refused to grant her a doctoral degree because of her 
scientific misconduct.

The publication affected is:  Garey, C.E., Schwarzman, A.L., Rise, M.L., & 
Seyfried, T.N.   Ceruloplasmin gene defect associated with epilepsy in EL 
mice.   Nature Genetics 6:426-431, 1994 (retracted in Nature Genetics 11:104, 
1995).

While Ms. Garey does not admit to the allegations of scientific misconduct, 
she has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement with PHS in which she has 
voluntarily agreed for a period of five (5) years, beginning on September 25, 
2000:

(1)  to exclude herself from any contracting or subcontracting with any agency 
of the United States Government and from eligibility for, or involvement in, 
nonprocurement transactions (e.g., grants and cooperative agreements) of the 
United States Government as defined in 45 C.F.R. Part 76 (Debarment 
Regulations),

(2) to exclude herself from serving in any advisory capacity to PHS, including 
but not limited to service on any PHS advisory committee, board, and/or peer 
review committee.

INQUIRIES

For further information contact:
Director
Division of Investigative Oversight
Office of Research Integrity
5515 Security Lane, Suite 700
Rockville, MD  20852
Telephone:  (301) 443-5330

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