FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

Release Date:  December 22, 1998

P.T.

Department of Health and Human Services

Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has made a
final finding of scientific misconduct in the following case:

Ms. Rocio del Carmen Restrepo, University of Illinois at Chicago:  Based on an
investigation report by the University of Illinois at Chicago, dated March 25,
1998, as well as information obtained by ORI during its oversight review, ORI
found that Ms. Restrepo, former research assistant, Department of Psychiatry,
University of Illinois at Chicago, engaged in scientific misconduct in
clinical research supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental
Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Specifically, Ms. Restrepo fabricated research data and submitted the data to
the director of a project entitled "Prenatal Provider-Patient Encounter." 
Data were fabricated in the records of 41 patients, including:  dates on which
Ms. Restrepo claimed to have conducted interviews in certain clinics; consent
forms for patients; questionnaires from patients participating in the project;
and false information in her "Study Daily Logs" that recorded each day's
events.

The fabricated data were not included in any publications.

Ms. Restrepo has accepted the ORI finding and has entered into a Voluntary
Exclusion Agreement with ORI in which she has voluntarily agreed, for the
three (3) year period beginning December 7, 1998:  (1) to exclude herself from
serving in any advisory capacity to the Public Health Service (PHS), including
but not limited to service on any PHS advisory committee, board, and/or peer
review committee, or as a consultant; and (2) that any institution that
submits an application for PHS support for a research project on which her
participation is proposed or which uses her in any capacity on PHS supported
research, or that submits a report of PHS-funded research in which she is
involved, must concurrently submit a plan for supervision of her duties to the
funding agency for approval.  The supervisory plan must be designed to ensure
the scientific integrity of Ms. Restrepo's research contribution.  The
institution also must submit a copy of the supervisory plan to ORI.

INQUIRIES

For further information contact:

Acting Director
Division of Research Investigations
Office of Research Integrity
5515 Security Lane, Suite 700
Rockville, MD  20852
Telephone:  (301) 443-5330

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