[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25015-25016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9858]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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:
    Lois Bartsch, Ph.D., University of Nebraska Medical Center: Based 
on the report of an investigation conducted by the University of 
Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and additional analysis conducted by the 
Office of Research Integrity (ORI) during its oversight review, the 
U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that Lois Bartsch, Ph.D., former 
postdoctoral research trainee, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, 
and Anatomy, UNMC, engaged in scientific misconduct in research 
supported by National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of 
Health (NIH), grants P30 CA36727 and R01 CA77876 and National Center 
for Research Resources (NCRR), NIH, grant P20 RR016469.
    Specifically, PHS found that Dr. Bartsch:
     Falsified DNA sequence files by deleting a nucleotide and 
changing nucleotide designations and reported the altered file as the 
ACI rat p16Cdkn2a sequence with a CpG dinucleotide polymorphism in the 
upstream region to GenBank, in grant application CA118151, and in the 
poster presented to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL);
     Fabricated the claim in grant application CA118151 that 
GenBank entries for the human p16Cdkn2a gene had a CpG polymorphism 
near the transcription start site;
     Falsified the differential methylation of CpG 
dinucleotides near the transcription start site of p16Cdkn2a DNA and 
reported that tumor tissue was more methylated than normal tissue in 
ACI rats treated with estrogen and that the ACI allele was more 
methylated than the BN allele in tumor tissue from (BN x 
ACI)F1 animals treated with estrogen in grant application 
CA118151.

[[Page 25016]]

    Dr. Bartsch has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement 
(Agreement) in which she neither admits nor denies ORI's finding of 
scientific misconduct; the settlement is not an admission of liability 
on the part of the respondent. In accordance with the terms of the 
Agreement, she has voluntarily agreed, beginning on April 15, 2008:
    (1) To exclude herself from any contracting or subcontracting with 
any agency of the United States Government and from eligibility or 
involvement in nonprocurement programs of the United States Government 
referred to as ``covered transactions'' pursuant to HHS' Implementation 
(2 CFR Part 376 et seq.) of OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Government-
wide Debarment and Suspension (2 CFR Part 180) for a period of two (2) 
years; and
    (2) To exclude herself permanently 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 or contractor to PHS for a period of three (3) years.

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. E8-9858 Filed 5-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-31-P