97-10977. Findings of Scientific Misconduct

[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 82 (Tuesday, April 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 23246]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10977]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Findings of Scientific 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 made a final finding of scientific misconduct in the 
following case.

Ann Marie Huelskamp, M.H.S., The Johns Hopkins University School of 
Medicine

    Based upon a report forwarded to the Office of Research Integrity 
(ORI) by The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, information 
obtained by ORI during its oversight review, and Ms. Huelskamp's own 
admission, ORI found that Ms. Huelskamp, a research program coordinator 
in the Oncology Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of 
Medicine, engaged in scientific misconduct by fabricating patient 
interview data for a study of quality of life measures in cancer 
patients. The research was supported by a grant from the National 
Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH).
    ORI also found that Ms. Huelskamp engaged in scientific misconduct 
by falsifying patient status data by failing to update the status of 
treated breast cancer patients and misrepresenting data from previous 
contacts as the updated status for a study. These data were reported in 
a grant application to NCI and gave the appearance that some patients' 
outcomes were more favorable than they actually were.
    Ms. Huelskamp cooperated fully with the Johns Hopkins 
investigation. The investigation report acknowledged her excessive 
workload, the difficulties associated with recruiting and following up 
on patients, and a lack of supervisory oversight.
    Ms. Huelskamp has accepted the ORI finding and has entered into a 
Voluntary Exclusion Agreement with ORI in which she has voluntarily 
agreed, for the three (3) year period beginning April 17, 1997:

    (1) To exclude herself from serving in any advisory capacity to 
the Public Health Service (PHS), including but not limited to 
service on any PHS advisory committee, board, and/or peer review 
committee, or as a consultant; and
    (2) That any institution that submits an application for PHS 
support for a research project on which Ms. Huelskamp's 
participation is proposed or which uses her in any capacity on PHS-
supported research must concurrently submit a plan for supervision 
of her duties. The supervisory plan must be designed to ensure the 
scientific integrity of Ms. Huelskamp's research contribution. The 
institution must submit a copy of the supervisory plan to ORI.

    No scientific publications were required to be corrected as part of 
this Agreement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Acting Director, Division of Research 
Investigations, Office of Research Integrity, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 
700 Rockville, MD 20852 [phone].
Chris B. Pascal,
Acting Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 97-10977 Filed 4-28-97; 8:45 am]
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