[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 143 (Friday, July 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44911-44912]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16034]


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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 against 
Prasadarao Nemani, Ph.D. (also known as Nemani V. Prasadarao) 
(Respondent), Research Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious 
Disease, Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). Dr. Nemani engaged in 
research misconduct in research supported by U.S. Public Health Service 
(PHS) funds, specifically National Institute of Allergy and Infectious 
Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants R01 
AI040567 and R01 AI049473. The administrative actions, including 
supervision for a period of four (4) years, were implemented beginning 
on July 7, 2020, and are detailed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elisabeth A. Handley, Director, Office 
of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 240, 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: 
Prasadarao Nemani, Ph.D., Children's Hospital Los Angeles: Based on the 
report of an investigation conducted by CHLA and additional analysis 
conducted by ORI in its oversight review, ORI found that Dr. Prasadarao 
Nemani, Research Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious 
Disease, CHLA, engaged in research misconduct in research supported by 
PHS funds, specifically NIAID, NIH, grants R01 AI040567 and R01 
AI049473.
    ORI found that Respondent engaged in research misconduct by 
recklessly including falsified and/or fabricated data in the following 
published paper and grant applications submitted for PHS funds:
     Infect Immun. 2009;77:1031-43 (hereafter referred to as 
``Infect Immun 2009''). Retraction in: Infect Immun. 2018 May 
22;86(6):e00212-18
     R01 AI107015-01 submitted to NIAID, NIH
     R01 AI125595-01A1 submitted to NIAID, NIH
     R01 AI125595-01 submitted to NIAID, NIH
     R01 NS073115-06A1 submitted to the National Institute of 
Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH
    Respondent recklessly reported falsified and/or fabricated image 
data for enterobacterial infection-induced intestinal epithelial cell 
injury in a neonatal murine model to falsely represent results using 
images from unrelated experiments in eight (8) figures included in one 
(1) published paper and four (4) grant applications. Specifically, 
Respondent falsely reported the following figures:
     Figure 1C in Infect Immun 2009
     Figures 7, 8A, 8B, and 8C in R01 AI107015-01
     Figure 6C in R01 AI125595-01A1
     Figure 6C R01 AI125595-01
     Figure 5B in R01 NS073115-06A1
    Dr. Nemani entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement and agreed 
to the following:
    (1) Respondent agreed to have his research supervised for a period 
of four (4) years beginning on July 7, 2020. Respondent agreed that 
prior to the

[[Page 44912]]

submission of an application for PHS support for a research project on 
which 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 agreed that he shall not participate in any PHS-supported 
research until such a supervision plan is submitted to and approved by 
ORI. Respondent agreed to maintain responsibility for compliance with 
the agreed upon supervision plan.
    (2) The requirements for Respondent's supervision plan are as 
follows:
    i. A committee of 2-3 senior faculty members at the institution who 
are familiar with Respondent's field of research, but not including 
Respondent's supervisor or collaborators, will provide oversight and 
guidance for a period of four (4) years from the effective date of the 
Agreement. The committee will review primary data from Respondent's 
laboratory on a quarterly basis and submit a report to ORI at six (6) 
month intervals, setting forth the committee meeting dates and 
Respondent's compliance with appropriate research standards and 
confirming the integrity of Respondent's research.
    ii. The committee will conduct an advance review of any PHS grant 
applications (including supplements, resubmissions, etc.), manuscripts 
reporting PHS-funded research submitted for publication, and abstracts. 
The review will include a discussion with Respondent of the primary 
data represented in those documents and will include a certification to 
ORI that the data presented in the proposed application/publication is 
supported by the research record.
    (3) Respondent agreed that for a period of four (4) years beginning 
on July 7, 2020, any institution employing him shall submit, in 
conjunction with each application of 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.
    (4) If no supervisory plan is provided to ORI, Respondent agreed to 
provide certification to ORI at the conclusion of the supervision 
period that he has not engaged in, applied for, or had his name 
included on any application, proposal, or other request for PHS funds 
without prior notification to ORI.
    (5) Respondent agreed to exclude himself 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 for a period of four (4) years, beginning on July 7, 
2020.

    Dated: July 20, 2020.
Elisabeth A. Handley,
Director, Office of Research Integrity, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Health.
[FR Doc. 2020-16034 Filed 7-23-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-31-P