[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 72 (Friday, April 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22320-22321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8903]


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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:
    Peter J. Francis, M.D., Ph.D., Oregon Health Sciences University: 
Based on the report of an investigation conducted by Oregon Health 
Sciences University (OHSU) and additional analysis conducted by ORI in 
its oversight review, ORI found that Dr. Peter J. Francis, Associate 
Professor, Casey Eye Institute, OHSU, engaged in research misconduct in 
research reported in two grant applications, R01 EY021214-01 and 
resubmitted as R01 EY021214-01A1, that he submitted to the National Eye 
Institute (NEI), National Institutes of Health (NIH).
    Specifically, ORI finds that the Respondent fabricated results of a 
pilot experiment in which he claimed to have injected retinal pigment 
epithelial (RPE) cells obtained from Rhesus monkey embryonic stem cells 
(ECS) into a strain of rats (RCS) that develops retinal degeneration.
    Respondent claimed that after the injection of ECS-derived RPE 
cells 21 days postnatal, the rats were tested at day 60 postnatal for 
optomotor acuity, and that the retinal histology of eyes receiving ECS-
derived RPE cells, compared to mock-injected controls, showed enhanced 
photoreceptor preservation and no adverse effects. Respondent admitted 
that this experiment had not been conducted either by the time the 
original grant application had been submitted or by the time the later 
R01 EY021214-01A1 application was submitted.
    Dr. Francis has entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement 
(Agreement) and has voluntarily agreed for a period of two (2) years, 
beginning on March 29, 2012:
    (1) To have his research supervised; Respondent agrees to ensure 
that prior to the submission of an application for U.S. Public Health 
Service (PHS) support for a research project on which the Respondent's 
participation is proposed and prior to Respondent's participation in 
any capacity on PHS-supported research, the institution employing him 
must submit a plan for supervision of Respondent's duties to ORI for 
approval; the plan for supervision must be designed to ensure the 
scientific integrity of Respondent's research contribution; Respondent 
agrees that he shall not participate in any PHS-supported research 
after sixty

[[Page 22321]]

(60) days from the effective date of this Agreement until such a 
supervision plan is submitted to and approved by ORI; Respondent agrees 
to maintain responsibility for compliance with the agreed upon 
supervision plan;
    (2) that this supervisory plan provided by any institution 
employing him shall provide assurance that each application for PHS 
funds, or report, manuscript, or abstract involving PHS supported 
research in which Respondent was involved was based on actual 
experiments or was otherwise legitimately derived, that the data, 
procedures, and methodology were accurately reported in the 
application, report, manuscript, or abstract, and that the text in such 
submissions was his own or properly cited the source of copied language 
and ideas; and
    (3) 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.

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. 2012-8903 Filed 4-12-12; 8:45 am]
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