83 FR 22497 - Findings of Research Misconduct

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Office of the Secretary

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 94 (May 15, 2018)

Findings of research misconduct have been made on the part of Gareth John, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS). Dr. John engaged in research misconduct in research supported by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants R01 NS056074 and R01 NS062703. The administrative actions, including one (1) year of supervision, were implemented beginning on April 26, 2018, and are detailed below.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 15, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22497-22498]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10310]


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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 
Gareth John, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Neurology, Icahn School of 
Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS).
Dr. John engaged in research misconduct in research supported by 
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), 
National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants R01 NS056074 and R01 
NS062703. The administrative actions, including one (1) year of 
supervision, were implemented beginning on April 26, 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:
    Gareth John, Ph.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Based 
on Respondent's admission, the report of an inquiry and investigation 
conducted by ISMMS, and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its 
oversight review, ORI found that Dr. Gareth John, Professor, Department 
of Neurology, ISMMS, engaged in research misconduct in research 
supported by NINDS, NIH, grants R01 NS056074 and R01 NS062703.

[[Page 22498]]

    ORI found that Respondent engaged in research misconduct by 
knowingly and intentionally falsifying data reported in Development 
141(12):2414-28, 2014 Jun (hereafter referred to as ``Development 
2014'').
    In addition to making an admission, Respondent cooperated fully 
with ISMMS and ORI and has expressed remorse for his actions.
    Specifically, ORI found that Respondent:
     used the p-GSK3[alpha]/[beta] double bands in Figure S3B 
of Development 2014, removed the lower set of bands, reordered the 
remaining bands and used those bands to represent the actin control in 
an experiment comparing the impact of Tgf[beta]1 and ActB individually 
and in combination in primary oligodendrocyte progenitors (OLPs) and 
the oligodendrocyte-derived Oli-Neu cell line.
     used the densitometry readings from the falsified actin 
bands in Figure S3B of Development 2014 to compare the density of A+T, 
Tgf[beta]1, ActB, and Veh relative to the false actin signal in Figure 
S3C-J, creating eight false graphs.
     falsified the bands representing Myelin basic protein 
(Mbp) in Figure 3C of Development 2014 by cutting and pasting the bands 
onto a blank background and used those false bands to create a graph 
showing the density of Mbp in the presence and absence of ActB, 
Tgf[beta]1, and Bmp4.
    As a result of this admission, Respondent has notified Development 
that corrections to figures in the paper, but not to the text, 
including the conclusions in Development 2014 are required.
    Dr. John entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement and 
voluntarily agreed, beginning on April 26, 2018:
    (1) To have his research supervised for a period of one (1) year; 
Respondent agreed that prior to 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 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) that for one (1) year, 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) if no supervisory plan is provided to ORI, 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;
    (4) 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 one (1) year; and
    (5) to follow up with the journal editor regarding his previous 
request to correct the following paper to ensure that the corrections 
are made:
     Development 141(12):2414-28, 2014 Jun.

Wanda K. Jones,
Interim Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 2018-10310 Filed 5-14-18; 8:45 am]
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