[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 81 (Wednesday, April 27, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 23600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-10157]


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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) has taken final action in the following case:
    Junghee J. Shin, PhD, New York Medical College: Based on the report 
of an investigation conducted by New York Medical College (NYMC) and 
additional analysis by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) in its 
oversight review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that 
Junghee J. Shin, PhD, former graduate student, NYMC, engaged in 
research misconduct in research supported by National Institute of 
Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health 
(NIH), grants R01 AI048856 and R01 AI043063.
    PHS found that the Respondent engaged in research misconduct by 
falsifying data in Figure 4 of a manuscript submitted to the journal 
Infection and Immunity (Shin, J.J., Godfrey, H.P., & Cabello, F.C. 
``Expression and localization of BmpC in Borrelia burgdorferi after 
growth under various environmental conditions.'' Submitted to Infection 
and Immunity; hereafter referred to as the ``manuscript'') and Figure 5 
of a paper published in Infection and Immunity (Shin, J.J. Bryksin, 
A.V., Godfrey, H.P., & Cabello, F.C. ``Localization of BmpA on the 
exposed outer membrane of Borrelia burgdorferi by monospecific anti-
recombinant BmpA rabbit antibodies.'' Infection and Immunity 
72(4):2280-2287, April 2004; hereafter referred to as the ``paper.'' 
Retracted in: Infection and Immunity 76(10):4792, October 2008). 
Specifically, NYMC and ORI found that:
     Dr. Shin falsified microscopic immunofluorescence blank 
images in Figure 4 of the manuscript (top row, 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th 
panels, and bottom row, 1st panel) and Figure 5 of the paper (top row, 
1st and 5th panels, lower 1st panel) by using one blank image from an 
unknown experiment to falsely represent the preimmunization control 
conditions (intact cells and methanol fixation) as well as the negative 
staining of anti-BmpC and anti-FlaB in Figure 4 and anti-FlaB in Figure 
5 on intact cells.
     Dr. Shin falsified at least one of two images in Figure 4 
of the manuscript and Figure 5 of the paper by using different portions 
of a green-red pair of microscopic immunofluorescence images 
(1230036.tif and 1230037.tif) because unfixed cells staining positive 
for BmpA in the top row, 4th panel, of Figure 5 were the same unfixed 
cells purportedly positive for OspA in the top row, 3rd panel, of 
Figure 4.
     Dr. Shin falsified at least one of two images in Figure 4 
of the manuscript and Figure 5 of the paper by using different photo 
cropping from a single microscopic immunofluorescence image 
(1230039.tif) to represent fixed cells positive for BmpA and labeled 
with anti-FlaB in the lower row, 5th panel, of Figure 5 and to also 
represent fixed cells positive for BmpC and stained with anti-FlaB in 
the lower row, 5th panel, of Figure 4.
    Dr. Shin has entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement in which 
she has voluntarily agreed, for a period of three (3) years, beginning 
on April 5, 2011:
    (1) 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 her in any capacity on PHS-supported research, 
or that submits a report of PHS-funded research in which she is 
involved, must concurrently submit a plan for supervision of her duties 
to ORI for approval; the supervisory plan must be designed to ensure 
the scientific integrity of her research contribution; Respondent 
agrees that she will not participate in any PHS-supported research 
until such a supervision plan is submitted to ORI; and
    (2) to exclude herself voluntarily from service 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, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 
750, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 453-8800.

John Dahlberg,
Director, Division of Investigative Oversight, Office of Research 
Integrity.
[FR Doc. 2011-10157 Filed 4-26-11; 8:45 am]
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