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:
Terry S. Elton, Ph.D., The Ohio State University: Based on the reports of two investigations conducted by The Ohio State University (OSU) and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, ORI found that Dr. Terry S. Elton, Professor, College of Pharmacy and Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, OSU, engaged in research misconduct in research supported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants R01 HL048848, R01 HL084498, and P01 HL70294, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, grant R21 HD058997, National Institute on Aging (NIA), NIH, grant R01 AG021912, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH, grant R01 AI39963, and National Eye Institute (NEI), NIH, grant R01 ES012241.
ORI found that the Respondent engaged in research misconduct by falsifying and/or fabricating data that were included in 1 R21 HD058997-01, 1 R21 HD058997-01A1, 1 R21 HD058997-01A2, 1 RC1 HL100298-01, and in:
As a result of its investigation, OSU has recommended that all of the above publications be retracted.
Specifically, ORI finds that Respondent:
• Falsified and/or fabricated Western blots in an NIH grant application in three submissions of the same grant application:
• Falsified and/or fabricated Western blots in eighteen (18) figures and in six (6) published papers. Specifically false and/or fabricated images were included in:
Dr. Elton has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement and has voluntarily agreed:
(1) To exclude himself 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” pursuant to HHS' Implementation (2 CFR part 376 et seq. ) of OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Govermentwide Debarment and Suspension, 2 CFR part 180 (collectively the “Debarment Regulations”) for a period of three (3) years, beginning on November 26, 2012;
(2) 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 a period of three (3) years, beginning on November 26, 2012; and
(3) To request that the following publications be retracted:
• J Biol Chem 285(2):1529-43, 2010 Jan 8
• Biochem Biophys Res Commun 370(3):473-7, 2008 Jun 6
• J Biol Chem 282(33):24262-9, 2007, Aug 17
• Mol Cell Endocrinol 249(1-2):21-31, 2006 Apr 25
• Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 1680(3):158-70, 2004 Nov 5.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Director, Office of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 750, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 453-8200.
John E. Dahlberg,
Deputy Director, Office of Research Integrity.