[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 131 (Friday, July 9, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39530-39531]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-16824]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Office of the Secretary
Findings of Research Misconduct
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity
(ORI) and the Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final action in
the following case:
Gerardo L. Paez, PhD, University of Pennsylvania: Based on the
reports of an inquiry and an investigation conducted by the University
of Pennsylvania (UP) and analysis conducted by the ORI Division of
Investigative Oversight (DIO), ORI found that Gerardo L. Paez, PhD,
former postdoctoral fellow, Section of Medical Genetics, UP School of
Veterinary Medicine, engaged in research misconduct in research
supported by National Eye Institute (NEI), National Institutes of
Health (NIH), awards R01 EY06855 and R01 EY13132.
ORI found that the Respondent engaged in research misconduct by
falsifying and fabricating retinal gene profile data that he
purportedly obtained from three-week old normal dogs and dogs with X-
linked progressive retinal atrophy.
Specifically, ORI found that:
1. Respondent committed research misconduct by falsifying/
fabricating data for gene expression profiles in retinal tissue from
three-week old normal dogs and dogs with X-linked progressive retinal
atrophy in abstracts and poster presentations for the 2006 \1\ and 2007
\2\ Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)
meetings and in an unsubmitted manuscript draft.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Paez, G.L., Zangerl, B., Acland, G.M., & Aguirre, G.D.
``Abnormal gene expression profile in retinas with RPGR frameshift
mutation.''
\2\ Paez, G.L., Zangerl, B., Acland, G.M., & Aguirre, G.D.
``Photoreceptor degeneration and tumor suppressor gene expression in
canine retinas with RGR frameshift mutation.''
\3\ Paez, G.L., Zangerl, B., Acland, G.M., & Aguirre, G.D.
``Age-related changes in the transcriptional profile of normal and
XLPRAII retinas using a custom cDNA microarray.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Respondent falsely labeled data files in the UP bioinformatics
core computer and submitted falsely identified files to his research
mentors.
Dr. Paez has entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement in which
he has voluntarily agreed, for a period of three (3) years, beginning
on June 9, 2010:
(1) To exclude himself from serving in any advisory capacity to
PHS, including
[[Page 39531]]
but not limited to service on any PHS advisory committee, board, and/or
peer review committee, or as a consultant;
(2) that any institution that submits an application for PHS
support for a research project on which the Respondent's participation
is proposed or that uses him in any capacity on PHS-supported research,
or that submits a report of PHS-funded research in which he is
involved, must concurrently submit a plan for supervision of his duties
to the funding agency for approval; the supervisory plan must be
designed to ensure the scientific integrity of his research
contribution. A copy of the supervisory plan also must be submitted to
ORI by the institution. Respondent agreed that he will not participate
in any PHS-supported research until such a supervisory plan is
submitted to ORI.
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. 2010-16824 Filed 7-8-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-31-P