[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 13, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 18837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-8387]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Findings of Research 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:
    Boris Cheskis, Ph.D., Wyeth Pharmaceuticals: Based on the report of 
an investigation conducted by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and additional 
analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, ORI found that Boris 
Cheskis, Ph.D., former senior scientist, Discovery Research, Women's 
Health, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, engaged in research misconduct in grant 
applications 1 R01 DK072026-01 and 1 R01 DK072026-01A2 submitted to the 
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 
(NIDDK), NIH.
    Specifically, ORI found that:
     The Respondent engaged in misconduct in science, 42 CFR 
50.102, in NIDDK, NIH, grant application 1 R01 DK072026-01, ``MNAR 
Crosstalk with Steroid Receptors,'' submitted to NIH on September 28, 
2004, by intentionally falsifying Figures 5 and 6.
     The Respondent engaged in research misconduct, 42 CFR 
93.103, in NIDDK, NIH, grant application 1 R01 DK072026-01A2, ``MNAR 
Crosstalk with Steroid Receptors,'' submitted to NIH on November 9, 
2005, by intentionally falsifying Figures 6 and 9.
    Dr. Cheskis' research was in an area of research (estrogen 
receptors and modulation of nongenomic phosphorylation cascades) that 
is of importance to women's health. Dr. Cheskis' team identified an 
adapter protein, MNAR, that coordinates interactions between certain 
nuclear receptors, Src and PI3K and may play important roles in 
regulation of cell proliferation and survival.
    Both Dr. Cheskis and the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) were 
desirous of concluding this matter without further expense of time and 
other resources. Dr. Cheskis neither admits nor denies that ORI's 
findings represent findings of research misconduct. The settlement is 
not an admission of liability on the part of the Respondent.
    Dr. Cheskis has entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement. Dr. 
Cheskis has voluntarily agreed, for a period of two (2) years, 
beginning on March 22, 2010:
    (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;
    (2) That any institution that submits an application for PHS 
support for a research project on which the Respondent's participation 
is proposed or that uses him in any capacity on PHS-supported research, 
or that submits a report of PHS-funded research in which he 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; respondent agreed that he will not participate in any 
PHS-supported research until such a supervisory plan is submitted to 
ORI.

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

John Dahlberg,
Director, Division of Investigative Oversight, Office of Research 
Integrity.
[FR Doc. 2010-8387 Filed 4-12-10; 8:45 am]
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