FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

Release Date: February 11, 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:

Ms. Janell Bodily, B.S., M.S.W., University of Utah:  Based on the report of
an investigation conducted by the University of Utah and information obtained
by ORI during its oversight review, ORI finds that Ms. Bodily, former
interviewer, Health Education Department, College of Health, University of
Utah, engaged in scientific misconduct in research supported by a National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant.

Specifically, Ms. Bodily intentionally falsified patient signatures and
responses to questions for at least 75 patient interviews for an NIMH-funded
research project, "Evaluation of the Utah Prepaid Mental Health Plan," which
involved indigent patients.  The study required annual interviews of the
participating subjects.  The falsified information was damaging to the
research project because researchers had to expend substantial time and
additional money to re-interview patients.  Because the data for the previous
year could not be recollected, the response rate for that year was
substantially below the response rate for other years of the study and may
have reduced the overall statistical reliability of the multi-year study.

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. Bodily is prohibited 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)
Ms. Bodily 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.


Mr. Thomas Philpot, R.N., B.S.N., Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center
and Northwestern University:  Based on the report of an investigation
conducted by Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center (RPMC), a report of
an inquiry conducted by Northwestern University, and information obtained by
ORI during its oversight review, ORI finds that Mr. Philpot, former data
manager for the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) at
RPMC and McNeal Cancer Center, formerly an NSABP affiliate of Northwestern
University, engaged in scientific misconduct in clinical research supported by
two National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)
cooperative agreements.

Specifically, Mr. Philpot intentionally falsified and/or fabricated follow-up
data on seven separate reports related to three patients enrolled in NSABP
clinical trials for breast cancer (B-09, B-12, and B-22).  The falsified
and/or fabricated data were submitted to the NSABP Biostatistical Center on
NSABP reporting forms and were recorded in the NSABP research records
maintained at the clinical sites.

ORI has implemented the following administrative actions for the three (3)
year period beginning January 19, 1999:  (1) Mr. Philpot 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 Mr. Philpot's 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. Philpot'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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