[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 2 (Thursday, January 3, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-25]


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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:
    Shaan F. Munjee, M.S., Wake Forest University School of Medicine: 
Based on the report of an investigation conducted by the Wake Forest 
University School of Medicine (WFUSM) and additional analysis conducted 
by ORI in its oversight review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) 
found that Shaan F. Munjee, M.S., former research fellow, Department of 
Cancer Biology at WFUSM, engaged in scientific misconduct by falsifying 
and fabricating data in research supported by National Institute of 
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes 
of Health (NIH), grants 5 R29 DK52623-03 and 5 R29 DK52623-04, ``PTHRP 
and prostate growth.''
    Specifically, PHS found that Ms. Munjee falsified data relating to 
the signaling of protein kinase in prostate cancer cell lines. From 
March 2000 through October 2000, Ms. Munjee falsified and fabricated 
data in her notebook from experiments to misrepresent her productivity 
and the significance of her findings. Ms. Munjee reported the falsified 
and fabricated data in: (1) Laboratory group meetings, a journal club, 
and a Cancer Biology retreat within WFUSM; (2) NIH grant application 5 
R29 DK52623-04, ``PTHRP and prostate growth'; and (3) an abstract 
submitted to the American Association for Cancer Research. Given the 
extensive nature of Ms. Munjee's data falsification and fabrication, 
none of her research can be considered reliable. Her actions adversely 
and materially affected the laboratory's ongoing research in prostate 
cancer by causing an unproductive avenue of research to be pursued and 
by preventing the principal investigator from submitting a competitive 
renewal application for a NIH grant. No publications required 
correction or retraction.
    Ms. Munjee has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement in 
which she has voluntarily agreed for a period of three (3) years, 
beginning on December 17, 2001:
    (1) To exclude herself 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 CFR Part 76 (Debarment Regulations); and
    (2) to exclude herself 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. 02-25 Filed 1-2-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-31-P