Findings of Research Misconduct

---
identifier: "/us/fr/2015-31057"
source: "fr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "Findings of Research Misconduct"
title_number: 0
title_name: "Federal Register"
section_number: "2015-31057"
section_name: "Findings of Research Misconduct"
positive_law: false
currency: "2015-12-10"
last_updated: "2015-12-10"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
agency: "Health and Human Services Department"
document_number: "2015-31057"
document_type: "notice"
publication_date: "2015-12-10"
agencies:
  - "Health and Human Services Department"
  - null
fr_citation: "80 FR 76703"
fr_volume: 80
fr_action: "Notice."
---


#  Findings of Research Misconduct

**AGENCY:**

Office of the Secretary, HHS.

**ACTION:**

Notice.

**SUMMARY:**

Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has taken final action in the following case:

*Girija Dasmahapatra, Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth University:* Based on the report of an inquiry conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), the willingness of the Respondent to settle this matter, and analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, ORI found that Dr. Girija Dasmahapatra, former Instructor, Department of Internal Medicine, VCU, engaged in research misconduct in research supported by National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants R01 CA063753, R01 CA093738, and R01 CA100866.

ORI found that false data were included in the following eleven (11) publications:

• *Blood* 107:232-40, 2006 Jan (hereafter referred to as “ *Blood* 2006”)

• *Blood* 115:4478-87, 2010 Jun 3 (hereafter referred to as “ *Blood* 2010”)

• *British Journal of Haematology* 161:43-56, 2013 Apr (hereafter referred to as “ *BJH* 2013”)

• *Cancer Biology & Therapy* 8:808-19, 2009 May (hereafter referred to as “ *CBT* 2009”)

• *Clinical Cancer Research* 13:4280-90, 2007 Jul (hereafter referred to as “ *CCR* 2007”)

• *Leukemia* 19:1579-89, 2005 Sep (hereafter referred to as “ *Leuk* 2005”)

• *Leukemia Research* 30:1263-1272, 2006 (hereafter referred to as “ *LR* 2006”)

• *Molecular Cancer Therapeutics* 10:1686-97, 2011 Sep (hereafter referred to as “ *MCT* 2011”)

• *Molecular Cancer Therapeutics* 11:1122-32, 2012 May (hereafter referred to as “ *MCT* 2012”)

• *Molecular Cancer Therapeutics* 13:2886-97, 2014 Dec (hereafter referred to as “ *MCT* 2014”)

• *Molecular Pharmacology* 69:288-98, 2006 Jan (hereafter referred to as “ *MP* 2006”)

ORI found that Respondent falsified and/or fabricated data by reporting the results of Western blot experiments and mouse imaging experiments that examined interactions between multiple histone deacetylase and/or proteasome inhibitors in several cancer models. Specifically, Respondent duplicated, reused, and/or relabeled Western blot panels and mouse images and claimed they represented different controls and/or experimental results in:

• *Blood* 2006, Figures 2A and 2B (Tubulin), 2C (c-Jun & Tubulin), and 3E and 3F (Tubulin)

• *Blood* 2010, Figures 4A and 4C (JNK & Tubulin)

• *BJH* 2013, Figures 2A and 6B (Tubulin)

• *CBT* 2009, Figure 4B (Actin)

• *CCR* 2007, Figures 3B (PARP) and 6A (Tubulin)

• *Leuk* 2005, Figures 3B (PARP CF) and 4A, 4B, and 4C (Tubulin)

• *LR* 2006, Figure 3D (Actin—BaF/3-WT)

• *MCT* 2011, Figures 2B and 3D (Tubulin) and 6B (0 d—CFZ-2.0mg/Kg & 12 d—CFZ + VOR)

• *MCT* 2012, Figures 3A (JNK & Tubulin, 3B (Tubulin—scram), 3D (Tubulin—pUSE-AKT cl.3), and 6B (CFZ + obato)

• *MCT* 2014, Figures 3A (JNK 1 & Tubulin), 3B (JNK & Tubulin), and 3C (Tubulin)

• *MP* 2006, Figures 1D and 1E (Caspase 3, CF Caspase 3, PARP & Tubulin), 2C (PARP), 3B, 4A, and 4B (Tubulin), 6A (Tubulin—U937-pSFFv 12 hr treatment & U937-Bcl-2-ΔN 24 hr treatment), and 9A (Cox-IV)

Dr. Dasmahapatra has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement (Agreement) and has voluntarily agreed:

(1) To exclude himself for a period of three (3) years from the effective date of the Agreement from any contracting or subcontracting with any agency of the United States Government and from eligibility or involvement in nonprocurement programs of the United States Government referred to as “covered transactions” pursuant to HHS' Implementation (2 CFR part 376 *et seq* ) of OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension, 2 CFR part 180 (collectively the “Debarment Regulations”);

(2) 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 period of three (3) years, beginning on November 5, 2015; and

(3) That the following publications will be retracted or corrected: *Blood* 2006, *Blood* 2010, *BJH* 2013, *CBT* 2009, *CCR* 2007, *Leuk* 2005, *LR* 2006, *MCT* 2011, *MCT* 2012, *MCT* 2014, and *MP* 2006.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**

Acting Director, Division of Investigative Oversight, Office of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 750, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 453-8200.

Donald Wright,

Acting Director, Office of Research Integrity.