[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 218 (Tuesday, November 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67363-67364]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-26991]
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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:
Hao Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Western University--Canada (formerly
University of Western Ontario): Based on the report of an investigation
conducted by Western University--Canada (WU) and ORI's subsequent
oversight analysis, ORI found that Dr. Hao Wang, former Associate
Professor of Surgery and Pathology, Schulich School of Medicine and
Dentistry, WU, engaged in research misconduct in research supported by
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National
Institutes of Health (NIH), subaward 0016244 from Prime Award U01
AI074676 to the University of Pittsburgh.
ORI found that Respondent engaged in research misconduct by
falsifying data that were included in:
An abstract and poster presentation for the 2011 American
Transplant Congress--Abstract [1537.5]: Wang, H., Baroja, M., Lan, Z.,
Arp, J., Lin, W., Relmann, K., Garcia, B., Jevnikar, A., & Rothstein,
D. ``Combination of Novel Anti-CD45RB and Anti-CD40 Chimeric Antibodies
Proglons Renal Allograft Survival in Cynomolgus Monkeys.''
Specifically, ORI found that the Respondent falsified the status of
two animals as successfully treated renal allograft recipients in a
2011 American Transplant Congress abstract and meeting presentation and
in false representations to the project principal investigators and
colleagues. Respondent falsely claimed long term survival, normal serum
creatinine concentrations, and lack of adverse effects in two
Cynomolgus monkeys treated with chimeric antibodies following bilateral
nephrectomies and receipt of renal allografts, when in fact the
transplant surgery had failed and the animals' survival was due to a
native kidney that was left in place in each animal. Respondent also
falsified or failed to correct known falsifications (identifying the
two monkeys as transplant recipients) in numerous clinical records,
including anesthesia records, progress, notes, treatment records, and
clinical laboratory reports.
It is expressly agreed that while Respondent asserts that there are
extenuating factors for his actions, Respondent agrees to enter into
the Agreement because contesting the findings would cause him undue
financial hardship and stress, and Respondent wishes to seek finality.
Respondent also claims that based on the data obtained from the same
experimental group, the removal of these two monkeys from the data
would not alter the scientific conclusion.
Dr. Wang has entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement and has
voluntarily agreed for a period of three (3) years, beginning on
October 22, 2013:
(1) To have his research supervised; Respondent agreed that prior
to the 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 his 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;
[[Page 67364]]
(2) that 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, that the
data, procedures, and methodology are accurately reported in the
application, report, manuscript, or abstract, and that the text in such
submission is his own or properly cites the source of copied language
and ideas; and
(3) 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 FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Office of Research
Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 750, Rockville, MD 20852, (240)
453-8800.
David E. Wright,
Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 2013-26991 Filed 11-8-13; 8:45 am]
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