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

Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices

Department of Health and Human Services

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