NOT-OD-02-068: FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
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FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

Release Date:  September 6, 2002

NOTICE NUMBER:  NOT-OD-02-068

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:

M. Renuka Prasad, Ph.D., University of Kentucky School of Medicine:  
Based on the report of an investigation conducted by the University of 
Kentucky (UK) and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight 
review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that Dr. Prasad, a 
former Research Professor of Surgery, UK School of Medicine, engaged in 
scientific misconduct by fabricating and falsifying data.  The research 
was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and 
Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant R01 NS34264, 
"Phospholipases in traumatic brain injury."  This research is important 
to understanding the mechanism of breakdown of the blood-brain barrier 
and swelling from edema that occurs after traumatic injury of the 
brain.

Specifically, PHS found that Dr. Prasad:

(1)  fabricated data to calculate a standard error of the mean for Bcl-
2 mRNA intensity values for the sham group: 16 values (four percentages 
for each of the four brain regions assayed), when only a single sham 
value of 100% was actually available, for the error bars shown in 
Figures 2 and 3 of a manuscript, "Regional expression of Bcl-2 MRNA and 
mitochondrial cytochrome c release after experimental brain injury in 
the rat," submitted to Brain Research, and included in Figures 11 and 
12 of NINDS grant application R01 NS41918-01, "Neurochemical mechanisms 
in traumatic brain injury," and

(2)  knowingly reported falsified data in Figures 1 and 3 and in the 
text of Dhillon, H.S. & Prasad, M.R.  "Kynurenate attenuates the 
accumulation of diacylglycerol and free fatty acids after experimental 
brain injury in the rat." Brain Research 832:7-12, 1999.

Dr. Prasad has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement in which he 
has voluntarily agreed:

(1)  that for a period of three (3) years, beginning on August 19, 
2002:

(a)  any institution that submits an application for PHS support for a 
research project on which Dr. Prasad"s participation is proposed or 
that uses Dr. Prasad in any capacity on PHS supported research, or that 
submits a report of PHS funded research in which Dr. Prasad is 
involved, must concurrently certify in every PHS research application 
or report that Dr. Prasad is prohibited from supervising other research 
staff, and

(b)  any institution employing Dr. Prasad is required to submit, in 
conjunction with each application for PHS funds or report, manuscript, 
or abstract of PHS funded research in which Dr. Prasad is involved, a 
certification that the data provided by Dr. Prasad are based on actual 
experiments or are otherwise legitimately derived, and that the data, 
procedures, and methodology are accurately reported in the application 
or report,

(2)  to exclude himself 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, or as a consultant for a period of 
three (3) years, beginning on August 19, 2002, and

(3)  that within 30 days of the effective date of the Agreement, Dr. 
Prasad must submit a letter to the journal Brain Research requesting 
retraction of the paper:  Dhillon, H.S. & Prasad, M.R.  "Kynurenate 
attenuates the accumulation of diacylglycerol and free fatty acids 
after experimental brain injury in the rat."  Brain Research 832:7-12, 
1999, stating that some of the data for the reported effects of 
kynurenate are falsified.  This requirement will remain on the ALERT 
System until Dr. Prasad sends a copy of the retraction letter to ORI.

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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