[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 14, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 45427]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15881]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Findings of Misconduct in Science

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity 
(ORI), the Assistant Secretary for Health, and another Federal agency 
have taken final action in the following case:
    Juan Carlos Jorge-Rivera, Ph.D., Dartmouth College: Based on the 
findings of an inquiry conducted by Dartmouth College, an investigation 
conducted by another Federal agency, and additional analysis conducted 
by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) during its oversight review, 
the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that Juan Carlos Jorge-
Rivera, Ph.D., former postdoctoral fellow, Department of Physiology, 
Dartmouth College, engaged in misconduct in science in research funded 
by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), 
National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant R01 NS28668.
    Specifically, Dr. Jorge-Rivera knowingly and intentionally 
falsified amplifier gain in at least eleven (11) experiments of his 
postdoctoral research aimed at measuring the effects of anabolic 
steroids on GABAnergic current in brain cells and reported the 
falsified data in Figures 4 and 6 of the following paper: Jorge-Rivera, 
J.C., McIntyre, K.L., & Henderson, L.P. ``Anabolic steroids induce 
region- and subunit-specific modulations of GABA receptor mediated 
currents in the rat forebrain.'' Journal of Neurophysiology 83:3299-
3309, 2000.
    Dr. Jorge-Rivera has been debarred by the Federal agency with joint 
jurisdiction for a period of two (2) years, beginning on January 11, 
2007, and ending on January 11, 2009.
    ORI has implemented the following administrative actions:
    (1) For a period of three (3) years, beginning on June 23, 2007, 
and ending on June 22, 2010, Dr. Jorge-Rivera is prohibited 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) for a period of three (3) years, beginning at the end of his 
debarment period (January 11, 2009), and ending on January 10, 2012, 
Dr. Jorge-Rivera must submit, in conjunction with each application for 
PHS funds, annual reports, manuscripts, or abstracts of PHS-funded 
research in which he is involved, a certification that the data he 
provides 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Division of Investigative 
Oversight, Office of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 
750, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 453-8800.

Chris B. Pascal,
Director, Office of Research Integrity.
 [FR Doc. E7-15881 Filed 8-13-07; 8:45 am]
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