[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 81 (Wednesday, April 27, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 23600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-10157]
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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:
Junghee J. Shin, PhD, New York Medical College: Based on the report
of an investigation conducted by New York Medical College (NYMC) and
additional analysis by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) in its
oversight review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that
Junghee J. Shin, PhD, former graduate student, NYMC, engaged in
research misconduct in research supported by National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health
(NIH), grants R01 AI048856 and R01 AI043063.
PHS found that the Respondent engaged in research misconduct by
falsifying data in Figure 4 of a manuscript submitted to the journal
Infection and Immunity (Shin, J.J., Godfrey, H.P., & Cabello, F.C.
``Expression and localization of BmpC in Borrelia burgdorferi after
growth under various environmental conditions.'' Submitted to Infection
and Immunity; hereafter referred to as the ``manuscript'') and Figure 5
of a paper published in Infection and Immunity (Shin, J.J. Bryksin,
A.V., Godfrey, H.P., & Cabello, F.C. ``Localization of BmpA on the
exposed outer membrane of Borrelia burgdorferi by monospecific anti-
recombinant BmpA rabbit antibodies.'' Infection and Immunity
72(4):2280-2287, April 2004; hereafter referred to as the ``paper.''
Retracted in: Infection and Immunity 76(10):4792, October 2008).
Specifically, NYMC and ORI found that:
Dr. Shin falsified microscopic immunofluorescence blank
images in Figure 4 of the manuscript (top row, 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th
panels, and bottom row, 1st panel) and Figure 5 of the paper (top row,
1st and 5th panels, lower 1st panel) by using one blank image from an
unknown experiment to falsely represent the preimmunization control
conditions (intact cells and methanol fixation) as well as the negative
staining of anti-BmpC and anti-FlaB in Figure 4 and anti-FlaB in Figure
5 on intact cells.
Dr. Shin falsified at least one of two images in Figure 4
of the manuscript and Figure 5 of the paper by using different portions
of a green-red pair of microscopic immunofluorescence images
(1230036.tif and 1230037.tif) because unfixed cells staining positive
for BmpA in the top row, 4th panel, of Figure 5 were the same unfixed
cells purportedly positive for OspA in the top row, 3rd panel, of
Figure 4.
Dr. Shin falsified at least one of two images in Figure 4
of the manuscript and Figure 5 of the paper by using different photo
cropping from a single microscopic immunofluorescence image
(1230039.tif) to represent fixed cells positive for BmpA and labeled
with anti-FlaB in the lower row, 5th panel, of Figure 5 and to also
represent fixed cells positive for BmpC and stained with anti-FlaB in
the lower row, 5th panel, of Figure 4.
Dr. Shin has entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement in which
she has voluntarily agreed, for a period of three (3) years, beginning
on April 5, 2011:
(1) 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 her in any capacity on PHS-supported research,
or that submits a report of PHS-funded research in which she is
involved, must concurrently submit a plan for supervision of her duties
to ORI for approval; the supervisory plan must be designed to ensure
the scientific integrity of her research contribution; Respondent
agrees that she will not participate in any PHS-supported research
until such a supervision plan is submitted to ORI; and
(2) to exclude herself voluntarily from service 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 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. 2011-10157 Filed 4-26-11; 8:45 am]
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