[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 188 (Thursday, September 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49386-49387]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-24157]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Findings of Scientific Misconduct

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: 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:
    David D. Sanchez, Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc. 
(PHFE): Based on the report of an investigation conducted by PHFE and 
additional analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, the U.S. 
Public Health Service (PHS) found that Mr. Sanchez, former research 
assistant for PHFE's California Emerging Infections Program (CEIP), 
engaged in scientific misconduct in research supported by Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cooperative agreement U50 
CCU915546-03.
    Specifically, PHS finds that Mr. Sanchez engaged in scientific 
misconduct by falsifying and fabricating data in interview 
questionnaires involving 21 cases and 27 controls for the 
``Campylobacter Ethnicity Case Control Study,'' which he submitted to 
the CEIP coordinator. As a result of his actions, none of Mr. Sanchez' 
research could be considered reliable and the research project was 
terminated. Mr. Sanchez also falsified and fabricated an additional 15 
data records relating to PHFE's ``E. coli O157 Case-Control Study,'' 
which he also submitted to the CEIP coordinator. Mr. Sanchez further 
engaged in a pattern of dishonest conduct that indicates that he is not 
presently responsible to be a steward of Federal funds. This pattern of 
behavior includes falsely claiming hundreds of hours on his time sheets 
submitted to CEIP for which he had not performed any work and 
repeatedly refusing to cooperate with the misconduct investigation. 
These actions adversely and materially affected CEIP's ability to 
determine risk factors for Campylobacter infections among Latino and 
Chinese-American children. No publications required correction.
    Mr. Sanchez has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement 
(Agreement) with PHS in which he has voluntarily agreed for a period of 
three

[[Page 49387]]

(3) years, beginning on September 4, 2001:
    (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);
    (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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Division of Investigative 
Oversight, Office of Research Integrity, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 700, 
Rockville, MD 20852, (301) 443-5330.

Chris B. Pascal,
Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 01-24157 Filed 9-26-01; 8:45 am]
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