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Case Summary - Rebecca Uzelmeier
[Federal Register: April 4, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 64)]
[Notices]
[Page 16366-16367]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04ap07-73]
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Office of the Secretary
Findings of Research Misconduct
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that on March 12, 2007 the Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) Debarring Official, on behalf of the
Secretary of HHS, issued a final notice of debarment based on research
misconduct findings of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS)
in the following case:
Rebecca Uzelmeier (formerly known as Rebecca Marcus), Michigan
State University: Based on the report of an investigation by Michigan
State University (MSU) and additional information obtained by the
Office of Research Integrity (ORI) during its oversight review, ORI
found that Rebecca Uzelmeier, former doctoral student, Department of
Pharmacology and Toxicology, MSU, committed research misconduct by
intentionally and knowingly fabricating and falsifying data in research
supported by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
(NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), granted R01 ES02520.
ORI issued a charge letter enumerating the above research misconduct findings. However, on October 12, 2006, Ms. Uzelmeier
filed a request for a hearing under 42 CFR part 93 to dispute these
findings before the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Departmental Appeals Board (DAB). On October 19, 2006, ORI moved to
dismiss Ms. Uzelmeier's hearing request because it failed to create a
genuine dispute of either material fact or law, as required under 42
CFR 93.504. On March 5, 2007, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) with
the DAB ruled in ORI's favor and dismissed Ms. Uzelmeier's hearing
request pursuant to 42 CFR 93.504(a)(2).
The ALJ found that Ms. Uzelmeier's hearing request raised defenses that either were immaterial to the charges of research misconduct or that
the ALJ had no authority to grant Ms. Uzelmeier's request for relief
under Part 93. Specifically, Ms. Uzelmeier knowingly and intentionally:
Fabricated and falsified data in her research notebook
primarily by multiple instances of using data/results generated from
one experiment to represent data/results purportedly obtained from one
or more entirely different experiments; and
Fabricated and falsified data in her thesis entitled
``Characterization of the Molecular Mechanism(s) Underlying the
Interaction(s) between 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin Mediated and
Interferon Gamma Mediated Signal Transduction,'' including falsifying
and fabricating autoradiographic films, computer image files scanned
from those films, numerical data reduced from those computer files,
documentation of those results in her black three-ring binder, and data
in associated multiple figures and projection slides.
Ms. Uzlmeier's research concerned the interaction between the
environmental toxin, dioxin, and a cytokine, interferon, on cellular
signaling in the immune system. The approach was to exploit dioxin, or
``TCDD'' (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin), as a probe that
suppresses the immune system to delineate a role for the aryl
hydrocarbon receptor protein (AhR), which is a cytosolic receptor that
can be transported to the nucleus to also act as a nuclear
transcription factor. The specific aim was to determine whether the
mechanism of action of a naturally occurring regulatory factor,
interferon-[gamma] (IFN-[gamma]), to antagonize the immunosuppressive
actions of dioxin, was through reduced AhR signaling.
Ms. Uzelmeier's actions caused the withdrawal of a manuscript that
had been submitted for publication, the withdrawal of her mentor's PHS
grant application, and her dismissal from graduate school.
The following administrative actions have been implemented for a
period of five (5) years, beginning on March 12, 2007:
(1) Ms. Uzelmeier has been debarred 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'' as defined in the debarment regulations at 2 CFR 180 and 376; and
(2) Ms. Uzelmeier is prohibited 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
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
Chris B. Pascal,
Director
Office of Research Integrity.
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