[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 101 (Tuesday, May 26, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31521-31522]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11158]
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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 against Mr.
Logan Fulford (Respondent), who was a graduate research assistant,
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), and former
graduate student, University of Cincinnati (UC). Mr. Fulford engaged in
research misconduct in research supported by National Cancer Institute
(NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant R01 CA142724 and
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), NIH, grant R01
HL084151. The administrative actions, including supervision for a
period of two (2) years, were implemented beginning on May 8, 2020, and
are detailed below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elisabeth A. Handley, Director, Office
of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 240, 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:
Mr. Logan Fulford, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center:
Based on the report of an investigation conducted by CCHMC and
additional analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, ORI found
that Mr. Logan Fulford, former graduate research assistant, CCHMC, and
former graduate student, UC, engaged in research misconduct in research
supported by NCI, NIH, grant R01 CA142724 and NHLBI, NIH, grant R01
HL084151.
Respondent neither admits nor denies ORI's findings of research
misconduct; the settlement is not an admission of liability on the part
of the Respondent. The parties entered into a Voluntary Settlement
Agreement (Agreement) to conclude this matter without further
expenditure of time, finances, or other resources.
ORI found that Respondent engaged in research misconduct by
intentionally, knowingly, and/or recklessly falsifying data that were
included in:
The transcription factor FOXF1 promotes prostate cancer by
stimulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK5. Science
Signaling 2016 May;9:427 (hereafter referred to as ``Science Signaling
2016'').
Foxf1 Deficient Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Promote
Prostate Cancer Progression via Paracrine Wnt11 Signaling. Unpublished
manuscript (hereafter referred to as the ``unpublished manuscript'').
ORI found that Respondent intentionally, knowingly, and/or
recklessly falsified immunohistochemistry and western blot data
included in Science Signaling 2016 and in an unpublished manuscript, by
reusing and relabeling images to represent the expression of different
proteins and/or different experimental conditions. Specifically:
In Figure 2C of Science Signaling 2016, Respondent reused one
immunohistochemistry image, to represent Cle casp-3 expression in Myc-
CaP tumors under both Control and FoxF1-OE conditions and used another
immunohistochemistry image to represent Cle casp-3 expression in TRAMP
tumors under both Control and FoxF1-OE conditions
in Figure S4E of Science Signaling 2016, Respondent reused and
relabeled western blot panels to represent the expression of multiple
different proteins under different experimental conditions.
Specifically:
--Respondent used different exposures of the source blot to
represent FOXF1 or WNK1 expression in 22RV1 tumors transfected with
scramble RNA or shFOXF1, or pERK5 expression in C4-2B tumors
transfected with scramble RNA or shFOXF1
--Respondent used different exposures and size scaling of the
source blot to represent MAP3K2 or pERK5 expression in 22RV1 tumors
transfected with scramble RNA or shFOXF1 or FOXF1 or WNK1 expression in
C4-2B tumors transfected with scramble RNA or shFOXF1, or FOXF1 or WNK1
expression in C4-2B tumors transfected with scramble or shFOXF1
--Respondent used background lightening/darkening and size scaling
of the source blot to represent [beta]-ACTIN expression in 22RV1 tumors
transfected with scramble or shFOXF1, or Total ERK5 expression in C4-2B
tumors transfected with scramble RNA or shFOXF1
--Respondent used size scaling and rotation of the source blot to
represent Total ERK5 in 22RV1 tumors transfected with scramble RNA or
shFOXF1, or [beta]-ACTIN expression in C4-2B tumors transfected with
scramble RNA or shFOXF1
in Figure 7C of Science Signaling 2016, Respondent reused and
relabeled one source western blot panel to represent the expression of
different proteins in the presence of FOXF1 overexpression.
Specifically:
--different exposures, size scaling, and rotation of the same blot
were used to represent [beta]-Actin, pERK5, Total ERK, and MAP3K2
expression in FOXF1-overexpressing Myc-CaP tumors transduced with
scramble RNA, shMAP3K2 RNA, shWNK1, or both
in Figure S3B of Science Signaling 2016, Respondent spliced,
size scaled, and rotated the source western blot representing
expression of Erk5 in TRAMP tumors and represented it as both pERK5 and
Total ERK5 expression in TRAMP tumors under both control and FOXF1-OE
conditions
in Figure 3B of the unpublished manuscript, Respondent
fabricated the data to falsely represent the upregulation of Wnt11 mRNA
in human fibroblasts from prostate cancer samples, compared to those
from normal patient samples
in Figures 3F and S8 of the unpublished manuscript, Respondent
reused and relabeled source western blot panels representing Wnt11
expression in HeLa (cervical cancer) to represent Wnt11 expression in
MDA-MB-231 fibroblasts (prostate cancer)
As a result of the investigation, Science Signaling 2016 was retracted
in: Science Signaling 2018 Jul;11:541.
Mr. Fulford entered into an Agreement and agreed to the following:
(1) Respondent agreed to have his research supervised for a period
of two (2) years beginning on May 8, 2020. Respondent agreed that prior
to the submission of an application for U.S. Public Health Service
(PHS) support for a project on which 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
[[Page 31522]]
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) The requirements for Respondent's supervision plan are as
follows:
i. A committee of 2-3 senior faculty members at the institution who
are familiar with Respondent's field of research, but not including
Respondent's supervisor or collaborators, will provide oversight and
guidance for two (2) years from the effective date of the Agreement.
The committee will review primary data from Respondent's laboratory on
a quarterly basis and submit a report to ORI at six (6) month
intervals, setting forth the committee meeting dates and Respondent's
compliance with appropriate research standards and confirming the
integrity of Respondent's research.
ii. The committee will conduct an advance review of any PHS grant
applications (including supplements, resubmissions, etc.), manuscripts
reporting PHS-funded research submitted for publication, and abstracts.
The review will include a discussion with Respondent of the primary
data represented in those documents and will include a certification to
ORI that the data presented in the proposed application/publication is
supported by the research record.
(3) If no supervisory plan is provided to ORI, Respondent agreed 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) Respondent agreed 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 two (2) years, beginning on May 8,
2020.
Dated: May 19, 2020.
Elisabeth A. Handley,
Director, Office of Research Integrity, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Health.
[FR Doc. 2020-11158 Filed 5-22-20; 8:45 am]
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