[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 66 (Friday, April 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16396-16397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8230]


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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:
    Matthew A. Lipski, Washington University in St. Louis: Based on the 
report of an investigation conducted by the Washington University in 
St. Louis (WUSL) and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its 
oversight review of related records, the U.S. Public Health Service 
(PHS) found that Matthew A. Lipski, former research patient assistant 
for WUSL on a subcontract from Hipco, Inc., engaged in scientific 
misconduct by falsifying and fabricating data in research supported by 
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Phase II Small Business Innovation 
Research (SBIR) grant 2 R44 AG12317-03, ``Effect of padded underwear on 
hip fracture incidence.''
    Specifically, PHS found that Mr. Lipski falsified and fabricated 
data in a study examining whether wearing an undergarment with force 
distributing and absorbing pads positioned over the trochanteric 
regions of elderly nursing home residents could significantly reduce 
the number of hip fractures. From July 2000 through October 2000, Mr. 
Lipski falsified and fabricated observational patient data in multiple 
research records. Due to concerns over the reliability of all of Mr. 
Lipski's data, none of his data were used in the study. No publications 
required correction or retraction.

[[Page 16397]]

    Mr. Lipski has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement in 
which he has voluntarily agreed for a period of three (3) years, 
beginning on March 20, 2002:
    (1) 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; and
    (2) That any institution that submits an application for PHS 
support for a research project on which Mr. Lipski'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 Mr. Lipski 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 his research 
contribution. A copy of the supervisory plan must also be submitted to 
ORI by the institution.

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. 02-8230 Filed 4-4-02; 8:45 am]
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