2011-26127. 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:

Shamarendra Sanyal, PhD Duke University: Based on an inquiry conducted by Duke University (Duke), admissions by the Respondent, and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, ORI and Duke found that Dr. Shamarendra Sanyal, former postdoctoral scholar, Duke, engaged in research misconduct by falsifying data in a grant application submitted to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Specifically, ORI found that the Respondent falsified Figure 2C of grant application 1 R01 HL107901-01, “Store-operated calcium entry in airway inflammation,” by altering the gain settings in the instrument used to measure store-operated current (SOC) densities in a whole cell patch clamp experiment comparing Stim 1^+/− mouse airway cells and wild type mouse airway cells. Respondent also falsified the calcium response data in Figure 5A (right panel) of the grant application referenced above by adding ATP as a reagent to the mouse airway epithelial cells to sharpen the results purported to be caused by PGN without disclosing that ATP had been added and without disclosing that ATP was not added to the control sample.

The questioned research was not submitted for publication.

Dr. Sanyal has entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement with ORI and Duke, in which he voluntarily agreed to the administrative actions set forth below. The administrative actions are required for two (2) years beginning on the date of Dr. Sanyal's employment in a research position in which he receives or applies for PHS support on or after the effective date of the Agreement (September 16, 2011); however, if he has not obtained employment in a research position in which he receives or applies for PHS support within three (3) years of the effective date of the Agreement, the administrative actions set forth below will no longer apply. Dr. Sanyal has voluntarily agreed:

(1) To have his research supervised as described below and to notify his employer(s)/institutions(s) of the terms of this supervision; Respondent agrees to ensure that prior to the submission of an application for PHS support for a research project on which Respondent's participation is proposed and prior to Respondent's participation in any capacity on PHS supported research, the institution employing him will submit a plan for supervision of Respondent's duties to ORI for approval; the plan for supervision must be designed to ensure the scientific integrity of Respondent's research contribution; Respondent agrees that he will not participate in any PHS supported research from the effective date of this Agreement until a plan for supervision is submitted to and approved by ORI; Respondent agrees to be responsible for maintaining compliance with the agreed upon plan for supervision;

(2) that any institution employing him must submit, in conjunction with each application for PHS funds, or report, manuscript, or contract 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 and that the data, procedures, and methodology are accurately reported in the application, report, manuscript, or abstract; and

(3) 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 FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Director, Division of Investigative Oversight, Office of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 750, Rockville, MD 20852, [phone].

John Dahlberg,

Director, Division of Investigative Oversight, Office of Research Integrity.