Findings of scientific misconduct.

FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

Release Date:  May 23, 2002

NOTICE:  NOT-OD-02-050

Department of Health and Human Services

Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and 
the Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final action in the 
following case:

Aaron J. Morrow, B.S., Saint Louis University:  Based on Mr. Morrow's 
admission, the report of an investigation conducted by Saint Louis 
University (SLU), and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its 
oversight review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that Aaron 
J. Morrow, graduate student, SLU Graduate School, engaged in scientific 
misconduct by falsifying and fabricating data in research supported by 
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), National 
Institutes of Health (NIH), grant 5 R01 GM54428-04, "Elucidation of the 
mechanisms of in vitro Golgi transport."

Specifically PHS found that Mr. Morrow falsified data relating to the 
study of the mechanisms of protein transport using in vitro 
preparations.  From October 1999 through January 2001, he falsified and 
fabricated data in his research notebook and produced false films and 
graphs of purported experiments to produce data for his thesis and 
misrepresent his progress.  Mr. Morrow reported the falsified and 
fabricated data in: (1) laboratory group meetings; (2) a poster 
presentation at the American Society for Cell Biology meeting held in 
December 2000, and (3) a draft manuscript that he was preparing.  Mr. 
Morrow also provided falsified data to his mentor, who unknowingly 
included it in a draft of NIGMS, NIH, application 2 R01 GM54428-05A2, 
"Elucidation of the mechanisms of in vitro Golgi transport."  Given the 
extensive nature of Mr. Morrow's data falsification and fabrication, 
none of his research after July 2000 can be considered reliable.  His 
actions adversely and materially affected the laboratory's ongoing 
research in protein transport mechanisms by creating uncertainty about 
all his experimental results, necessitating verification and repetition 
of experiments, preventing the reporting of results for publication, 
and preventing the principal investigator from submitting a competitive 
renewal application for a NIH grant.

Mr. Morrow has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement in which he 
has voluntarily agreed for a period of three (3) years:

(1)  to exclude himself from any contracting or subcontracting with any 
agency of the United States Government and from eligibility for, or 
involvement in, nonprocurement transactions (e.g., grants and 
cooperative agreements) of the United States Government as defined in 
45 C.F.R. Part 76 (Debarment Regulations); and

(2)  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.
INQUIRIES

For further information contact:

Director
Division of Investigative Oversight
Office of Research Integrity
5515 Security Lane, Suite 700
Rockville, MD  20852
Telephone:  301- 443-5330