FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

Release Date:  February 4, 1999

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 cases:

Samar N. Roy, Ph.D., New York Blood Center:  Based on a report forwarded to the
Office of Research Integrity (ORI) by the New York Blood Center (NYBC) on
February 26, 1998, and information obtained by ORI during its oversight review,
ORI found that Dr. Roy, former assistant member, Laboratory of Membrane
Biochemistry, NYBC, engaged in scientific misconduct in biomedical research
supported in part by a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI),
National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant.

Specifically, Dr. Roy intentionally falsified the claim reported in S.N. Roy, B.
Kudryk, and C.M. Redman, J. Biol. Chem. 270:23761-23767 (1995) (the 'JBC 270
paper') that he had obtained the expression of wild type and mutant fibrinogen
in yeast cells.  Dr. Roy falsified the claim by 'spiking' various samples with
fibrinogen obtained from mammalian sources that were submitted to other
laboratories for analysis.  Also, Dr. Roy intentionally falsified the data
reported in Figure 2A of the JBC 270 paper by using a different exposure of the
same autoradiogram that he later used in the first six lanes of Figure 2 reported
in S. Roy, A. Sun, and C. Redman, J. Biol. Chem. 271:24544-24550 (1996) (the 'JBC
271 paper').  The falsified autoradiogram in Figure 2A of the JBC 270 paper was
described differently, though correctly, in Figure 2 of the JBC 271 paper.  The
JBC 270 paper has been retracted.

Dr. Roy has accepted the ORI finding and has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion
Agreement with ORI in which he has voluntarily agreed, for the three (3) year
period beginning January 7, 1999:  (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 (e.g., grants and
cooperative agreements) of the United States Government as defined in 45 C.F.R.
Part 76 (Debarment Regulations); and (2) to exclude himself 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.

Ms. Nellie Briggs-Brown, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center:  Based on
the report of an investigation conducted by Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical
Center dated December 3, 1997, ORI finds that Ms. Briggs Brown, former employee,
Department of Neurology, engaged in scientific misconduct in clinical research
supported by two National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS),
National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants.

Specifically, Ms. Briggs-Brown (1) falsified seven monthly screening logs for a
NINDS funded study involving stroke victims (Randomized Trial of Org 10172 in
Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment) and submitted the same logs with altered dates
on multiple occasions to the University of Iowa Coordinating Center; and (2)
falsified several Human Investigation Committee research approval forms.

None of the questioned data has been included in publications.

ORI has implemented the following administrative actions for the three (3) year
period beginning January 25, 1999:  (1) Ms. Briggs-Brown is prohibited 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; and (2) any institution that submits an application for PHS support
for a research project on which Ms. Briggs-Brown's 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.
Briggs-Brown's research contribution.  The institution also must submit a copy
of the supervisory plan to ORI.

Robert J. Thackeray, R.N., M.P.H., University of Pittsburgh:  Based on an
investigation report prepared by the University of Pittsburgh, dated June 24,
1998, and information obtained by ORI during its oversight review, ORI found that
Mr. Thackeray, former program coordinator, Multi center AIDS Cohort Study (MACS),
Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Graduate School of Public
Health, University of Pittsburgh, engaged in scientific misconduct in research
supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  The Pitt Men's Study is
a component of the MACS funded by a cooperative agreement with the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH.

Specifically, Mr. Thackeray falsified and/or fabricated research data that he
recorded from various tests that he was responsible for conducting on subjects
enrolled in the MACS.  Mr. Thackeray falsified and/or fabricated data for five
subjects and reported that data on the 'Neurological Assessment Form 10" and on
the 'Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale' questionnaire.

The fabricated and/or falsified research data were not compiled elsewhere and
were not included in any publications.

Mr. Thackeray has accepted the ORI finding and has entered into a Voluntary
Exclusion Agreement with ORI in which he has voluntarily agreed, for the three
(3) year period beginning January 19, 1999:  (1) to exclude himself 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 his participation is
proposed or which uses him in any capacity on PHS supported research, or that
submits a report of PHS-funded research in which he is involved, must
concurrently submit a plan for supervision of his duties to the funding agency
for approval.  The supervisory plan must be designed to ensure the scientific
integrity of Mr. Thackeray'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

Return to Volume Index

Return to NIH Guide Main Index

	Office of Extramural Research (OER)			National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892			Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)