[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56842-56843]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-22565]


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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:
    M. Renuka Prasad, Ph.D., University of Kentucky School of Medicine: 
Based on the report of an investigation conducted by the University of 
Kentucky (UK) and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight 
review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that Dr. Prasad, a 
former Research Professor of Surgery, UK School of Medicine, engaged in 
scientific misconduct by fabricating and falsifying data. The research 
was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and 
Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant R01 NS34264, 
``Phospholipases in traumatic brain injury.'' This research is 
important to understanding the mechanism of breakdown of the blood-
brain barrier and swelling from edema that occurs after traumatic 
injury of the brain.
    Specifically, PHS found that Dr. Prasad:
    (1) Fabricated data to calculate a standard error of the mean for 
Bcl-2 mRNA intensity values for the sham group: 16 values (four 
percentages for each of the four brain regions assayed), when only a 
single sham value of 100% was actually available, for the error bars 
shown in Figures 2 and 3 of a manuscript, ``Regional expression of Bcl-
2 MRNA and mitochondrial cytochrome c release after experimental brain 
injury in the rat,'' submitted to Brain Research, and included in 
Figures 11 and 12 of NINDS grant application R01 NS41918-01, 
``Neurochemical mechanisms in traumatic brain injury;'' and
    (2) Knowingly reported falsified data in Figures 1 and 3 and in the 
text of Dhillon, H.S. & Prasad, M.R. ``Kynurenate attenuates the 
accumulation of diacylglycerol and free fatty acids after experimental 
brain injury in the rat.'' Brain Research 832:7-12, 1999.
    Dr. Prasad has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement in 
which he has voluntarily agreed:
    (1) That for a period of three (3) years, beginning on August 19, 
2002:
    (a) Any institution that submits an application for PHS support for 
a research project on which Dr. Prasad's participation is proposed or 
that uses Dr. Prasad in any capacity on PHS supported research, or that 
submits a report of PHS funded research in which Dr. Prasad is 
involved, must concurrently certify in every PHS research application 
or report that Dr.

[[Page 56843]]

Prasad is prohibited from supervising other research staff; and
    (b) Any institution employing Dr. Prasad is required to submit, in 
conjunction with each application for PHS funds or report, manuscript, 
or abstract of PHS funded research in which Dr. Prasad is involved, a 
certification that the data provided by Dr. Prasad are based on actual 
experiments or are otherwise legitimately derived, and that the data, 
procedures, and methodology are accurately reported in the application 
or report;
    (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 
a period of three (3) years, beginning on August 19, 2002; and
    (3) That within 30 days of the effective date of the Agreement, Dr. 
Prasad must submit a letter to the journal Brain Research requesting 
retraction of the paper: Dhillon, H.S. & Prasad, M.R. ``Kynurenate 
attenuates the accumulation of diacylglycerol and free fatty acids 
after experimental brain injury in the rat.'' Brain Research 832:7-12, 
1999, stating that some of the data for the reported effects of 
kynurenate are falsified. This requirement will remain on the ALERT 
System until Dr. Prasad sends a copy of the retraction letter to ORI.

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. 02-22565 Filed 9-04-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-31-P