[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 1 (Thursday, January 2, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 123-124]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-33079]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Office of the Secretary; Findings of Scientific Misconduct

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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:
    Michael E. Ganz, M.D., Case Western Reserve University: Based on 
the report of an investigation conducted by Case Western Reserve 
University (CWRU Report) and additional analysis conducted by ORI in 
its oversight review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that 
Dr. Ganz, Associate Professor of Medicine, CWRU, engaged in scientific 
misconduct by falsification and fabrication of research in grant 
application R01 DK058674-01A2, ``The role of protein kinase C and 
shuttling proteins in diabetic kidney disease,'' submitted to the 
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 
(NIDDK), National Institutes of Health (NIH).
    Specifically, PHS found that Dr. Ganz engaged in scientific 
misconduct by:
    (1) Falsifying Figure 16 in NIH grant application R01 DK058674-01A2 
by claiming that photomicrographs of glomeruli were from a 
streptozotocin model of induced diabetes in rat, while the 
photomicrographs were actually from tissue of human or other primate 
origin;
    (2) Falsifying Figure 16 of this NIH grant application by claiming 
that six photomicrographs all represented glomeruli from different 
animals, whereas they actually were from only three different 
glomeruli, with each glomerulus being shown in two images with 
different orientations and/or magnifications; and
    (3) Falsifying and fabricating documents, purportedly showing the 
source of the falsified Figure 16 in the NIH grant application, which 
the

[[Page 124]]

Respondent provided to the CWRU inquiry committee.
    The research was significant because it was designed to develop a 
therapy to prevent the progressive glomerular hypertrophy and matrix 
deposition that occur with the renal disease associated with diabetes 
in animals and humans.
    Dr. Ganz has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement in which 
he has voluntarily agreed for a period of five (5) years, beginning on 
December 18, 2002:
    (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 referred to as 
``covered transactions'' as defined in 45 CFR part 76 (Debarment 
Regulations); and
    (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. 02-33079 Filed 12-31-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-31-P