[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 170 (Friday, August 31, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44637-44638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19019]


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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: Findings of research misconduct have been made on the part of 
Li Wang, Ph.D., Professor of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of 
Connecticut (UConn) (Respondent). Dr. Wang engaged in research 
misconduct in research included in National Institute of Diabetes and 
Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health 
(NIH), grant applications 1 R01 DK118645-01A1, 1 R01 DK116203-01, 1 R01 
DK114804-01, and 2 R01 DK080440-09A1 and National Institute of General 
Medical Sciences (NIGMS), NIH, grant applications 1 R01 GM125140-01 and 
1 R01 GM126685-01. The administrative actions, including supervision 
for a period of one (1) year, were implemented beginning on August 14, 
2018, and are detailed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Wanda K. Jones, Dr.P.H., Interim Director, Office of Research 
Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 750, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 
453-8200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that the Office of 
Research Integrity (ORI) has taken final action in the following case:
    Li Wang, Ph.D., University of Connecticut: Based on an assessment 
by UConn, an admission by Respondent and additional documents providing 
clarifying information, and analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight 
review, ORI found that Dr. Li Wang, Professor of Physiology and 
Neurobiology, UConn, engaged in research misconduct by recklessly 
including false data in NIDDK, NIH, grant applications 1 R01 DK118645-
01A1, 1 R01 DK116203-01, 1 R01 DK114804-01, and 2 R01 DK080440-09A1 and 
NIGMS, NIH, grant applications 1 R01 GM125140-01 and 1 R01 GM126685-01. 
None of the applications received funding, and three were withdrawn 
before review (1 R01 DK114804-01, 1 R01 DK116203-01, and 1 R01 
DK118645-01A1).
    In addition to making an admission, Respondent cooperated fully 
with UConn and ORI, has expressed remorse for her actions, and took 
full responsibility for her reckless behavior.
    Specifically, ORI finds that:
     Respondent mislabeled figure images in four grant 
applications, as follows:

--in Figure 3D in 1 R01 DK116203-01, Figure 4D in 1 R01 GM125140-01, 
and Figure 4D in 1 R01 DK114804-01, mislabeled Western blot bands 
showing the effect of alcohol-induced liver injury in mice on HMGB2 
gene reactivation
--in Figure 9A in 1 R01 DK116203-01, Figure 10A in 1 R01 GM125140-01, 
Figure 10A in 1 R01 DK114804-01, and Figure 11A in 1 R01 DK080440-09A1, 
labeled Western blot bands showing the knockdown of HMGB2 protein using 
shHMGB2 in human stellate cells (LX2) as the effect on tumor initiating 
cells (TIC)
--in Figure 13A in 1 R01 DK116203-01, Figure 13A in 1 R01 GM125140-01, 
Figure 13A in 1 R01 DK114804-01, and Figure 14A in 1 R01 DK080440-09A1, 
mislabeled confocal images showing the activation of [alpha]-SMA in 
primary HSCs as the activation of GFAP
     in Figure 10 in 1 R01 DK118645-01A1, Respondent used 
Western blot

[[Page 44638]]

bands labeled as miR181c in five previous grant applications (1 R01 
DK114804-01, 1 R01 DK116203-01, 1 R01 DK080440-09A1, 1 R01 GM125140-01, 
1 R01 GM126685-01) to represent a negative control without specifying 
that miR-181c was the negative control and explaining why it was used 
as the negative control
     in Figure 13C in 1 R01 DK114804-01 and Figure 14C in 2 R01 
DK080440-09A1, Respondent presented Western blot data showing decreased 
HMGB2 expression over time in primary HSCs when she knew these 
preliminary data were not sufficiently robust Dr. Wang entered into a 
Voluntary Settlement Agreement and voluntarily agreed for a period of 
one (1) year, beginning on August 14, 2018:
    (1) To have her research supervised; Respondent agrees 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, Respondent shall ensure that a 
plan for supervision of Respondent's duties is submitted to ORI for 
approval; the supervision plan must be designed to ensure the 
scientific integrity of Respondent's research contribution; Respondent 
agrees that she shall not participate in any PHS-supported research 
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 any institution employing her shall submit, in conjunction 
with each application for PHS funds, or report, manuscript, or abstract 
involving PHS-supported research in which Respondent is involved, a 
certification to ORI that the data provided by Respondent are based on 
actual experiments or are otherwise legitimately derived and that the 
data, procedures, and methodology are accurately reported in the 
application, report, manuscript or abstract; and
    (3) to exclude herself voluntarily 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.

Wanda K. Jones,
Interim Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 2018-19019 Filed 8-30-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-31-P