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reliable and the Nature Genetics publication has been retracted.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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