[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 168 (Tuesday, August 31, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53303-53304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-21579]


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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:
    Hung-Shu Chang, PhD, Washington State University: Based on the 
report of an investigation conducted by the Washington State University 
(WSU) and additional analysis by ORI in its oversight review, the U.S. 
Public Health Service (PHS) found that Hung-Shu Chang, PhD, former 
postdoctoral fellow, WSU, engaged in research misconduct in research 
supported by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 
(NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant R01 ES012974.
    PHS found that the Respondent engaged in scientific (42 CFR 50.102) 
and research misconduct by fabricating

[[Page 53304]]

and falsifying data in Figure 3 of a paper published in 
Endocrinology.\1\ Specifically, PHS found that:
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    \1\ Chang, H.S., Anway, M.D., Rekow, S.S., & Skinner, M.K. 
``Transgenerational epigenetic imprinting of the male germline by 
endocrine disruption exposure during gonadal sex determination.'' 
Endocrinology 147(12):5524-5541; hereafter referred to as the 
``Endocrinology paper.''
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     Respondent, by not conducting any of the claimed bisulfite 
sequencing, fabricated the methylation status of CpG sites in eight 
candidate genes identified in both Figures 3 and 4 as No. 11, No. 12, 
No. 13, No. 14, 15, No. 22, No. 26, No. 31, and No. 19, to support the 
hypothesis that the environmental compound, vinclozolin, induces a 
permanent alteration in the epigenetic reprogramming of the germline 
that promotes transgenerational disease states.
     Respondent, by conducting only a small fraction of the 
claimed bisulfite sequencing, and falsifying the results obtained, 
falsified the methylation status of CpG sites in eight additional 
candidate genes, identified in Figures 3 and 4 as No. 2, 3, 24, No. 5, 
6, 9, No. 8, No. 16, No. 17, 18, No. 27, 28, No. 29, and No. 33.
Dr. Chang has entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement in which he 
has voluntarily agreed, for a period of three (3) years, beginning on 
July 21, 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-support research, 
or that submits a report of PHS-funded research in which the Respondent 
is involved, must concurrently submit a plan for supervision of the 
Respondent's duties to the funding agency for approval. The supervisory 
plan must be designed to ensure the scientific integrity of the 
Respondent's research contribution while applying for or conducting 
PHS-supported research. Respondent agrees to ensure that a copy of the 
supervisory plan is submitted to ORI by the institution for ORI 
approval. Respondent agrees not to 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. 2010-21579 Filed 8-30-10; 8:45 am]
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