81 FR 59642 - Findings of Research Misconduct

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Office of the Secretary

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 168 (August 30, 2016)

Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has taken final action in the following case: Andrew R. Cullinane, Ph.D., National Institutes of Health: Based on Respondent's admission, an assessment conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, ORI found that Dr. Andrew R. Cullinane, former postdoctoral fellow, Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), NIH, engaged in research misconduct in research supported by NHGRI, NIH. ORI found that Respondent engaged in research misconduct by reporting falsified and/or fabricated data in the following two (2) publications and one (1) submitted manuscript:

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 168 (Tuesday, August 30, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59642-59643]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-20834]


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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:
    Andrew R. Cullinane, Ph.D., National Institutes of Health: Based on 
Respondent's admission, an assessment conducted by the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH), and analysis conducted by ORI in its 
oversight review, ORI found that Dr. Andrew R. Cullinane, former 
postdoctoral fellow, Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome 
Research Institute (NHGRI), NIH, engaged in research misconduct in 
research supported by NHGRI, NIH.
    ORI found that Respondent engaged in research misconduct by 
reporting falsified and/or fabricated data in the following two (2) 
publications and one (1) submitted manuscript:

 Am. J. Hum. Genet. 88(6):778-787, 2011 (hereafter referred to 
as ``Paper 1'')
 Neurology 86(14):1320-1328, 2016 (hereafter referred to as 
``Paper 2'')
 ``RAB11FIP1, Mutated in HPS-10, Interacts with BLOC-1 to 
Mitigate Recycling of Melanogenic Proteins.'' Submitted for publication 
to The Journal of Clinical Investigations, Cell, Nature Biology, 
Molecular Cell, and Nature Genetics (hereafter referred to as 
``Manuscript 1'')

    ORI found that Respondent knowingly falsified and/or fabricated 
data and related images by alteration and/or reuse and/or relabeling of 
experimental data. Specifically:

 in Paper 1, Respondent falsified and/or fabricated the results 
in Figure 3C by using the same gel images to represent expression of 
PLDN in fibroblasts and melanocytes
 in Paper 2, Respondent falsified and/or fabricated the results 
in Figure 2A by erasure of a band in the blot image for LYST/CHD-4 that 
was present in the original data
 in Manuscript 1, Respondent falsified and/or fabricated the 
results in Western blot data by reuse and relabeling, duplication, and/
or manipulation in Figures 2B, 2D, 2E, 3A-C, 4C, 4E, 4G, 5B, 6A-C, 7A, 
7D, 7G, 7J, and Supplemental Figure 3, and Respondent falsified and/or 
fabricated the results by reuse and relabeling of centrifuge tubes to 
represent different experiments in Figures 1D, 7C, 7F, 7I, 7L, and 
Supplemental Figure 2

    Dr. Cullinane has entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement 
with ORI and NIH, in which he voluntarily agreed:
    (1) To have his research supervised for a period of three (3) years 
beginning on July 22, 2016; Respondent agreed to ensure that prior to 
the submission of an application for U.S. Public Health Service (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, the institution employing him must submit a 
plan for supervision of his duties to ORI for approval. The plan for 
supervision must be designed to ensure the scientific integrity of 
Respondent's research contribution; Respondent agreed that he will not 
participate in any PHS-supported research until a plan for supervision 
is submitted to and approved by ORI; Respondent agreed to maintain 
responsibility for compliance with the agreed upon supervision plan;
    (2) that for a period of three (3) years beginning on July 22, 
2016, any institution employing him 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;
    (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 a period of 
three (3) years, beginning on July 22, 2016; and
    (4) as a condition of the Agreement, Respondent agreed to the 
retraction or correction of:

 Am. J. Hum. Genet. 88(6):778-787, 2011

[[Page 59643]]

 Neurology 86(14):1320-1328, 2016

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Office of Research 
Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 750, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 
453-8200.

Kathryn M. Partin,
Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 2016-20834 Filed 8-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4150-31-P