NOT-OD-03-050: FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

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

RELEASE DATE:  June 30, 2003

NOTICE:  NOT-OD-03-050

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

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:

John W. Rooney, Ph.D., Columbia University:  Based on the report of an 
investigation conducted by Columbia University (CU) (CU Report), an admission 
by the respondent, and additional analysis performed by ORI in its oversight 
review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that John W. Rooney, 
Ph.D., former postdoctoral research fellow, CU, engaged in scientific 
misconduct by falsifying research supported by National Heart, Lung, and 
Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant T32 
HL007343, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH, 
grant R01 AI043576, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), 
NIH, grant R01 GM029361, and National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, grants P01 
CA075399 and R01 CA076496.

Specifically, PHS found that Dr. Rooney engaged in scientific misconduct by:
falsifying Panels A-C of Figure 1 in the following paper:  Rooney, J.W. & 
Calame, K.L.  "TIF1beta functions as a coactivator for C/EBPbeta and is 
required for induced differentiation in the myelomonocytic cell line U937."  
Genes and Development 15:3023-3038, 2001; the respondent falsely claimed that 
high levels of expression of the TIF1? gene were induced by dimethylsulfoxide 
and a phorbol ester; and falsifying Figure 3 in the original and Figures 6 
and 7 in a revised version of a manuscript (Rooney, J.W., Postel, E.H., & 
Calame, K.L.  "The DNA-cleavage function of NM23-H2/Puf is essential for 
myeloid differentiation and for transcription of myeloid-specific genes," 
submitted to Molecular and Cellular Biology).  The respondent falsely claimed 
that wild-type NM23-H2/Puf protein could cleave DNA promoter sequences in all 
five purported target genes and that the K12Q mutant protein could not cleave 
any of them.  The respondent also falsely claimed in electrophonetic mobility 
shift assays that two authentic oligonucleotides bound to the NM23-H2/Puf 
protein when they did not do so.

The Genes and Development paper has been retracted (Genes and Development 
16:2170, 2002), and CU has indicated that the Molecular and Cellular Biology 
manuscript will not be resubmitted until all of Dr. Rooney's data have been 
replaced by the work of others.

Dr. Rooney has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement in which he has 
voluntarily agreed for a period of three (3) years, beginning on May 16, 
2003:

(1)  to exclude himself from any contracting or subcontracting with any 
agency of the United States Government and from eligibility for, or 
involvement in, nonprocurement transactions of the United States Government 
as defined in 45 C.F.R. Part 76; and

(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.

INQUIRIES

For further information contact:

Director
Division of Investigative Oversight
Office of Research Integrity
1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 750
Rockville, MD  20852
Telephone:  301-443-5330
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