Notice2025-04489
Findings of Research Misconduct
Primary source
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Published
March 19, 2025
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services Department
Abstract
Findings of research misconduct have been made against Liping Zhang, Ph.D. (Respondent), former Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Section of Nephrology, Baylor College of Medicine. Respondent engaged in research misconduct in research supported by U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) funds, specifically National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants R37 DK037175 and P30 DK079638 and National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, grant P30 CA016672. Administrative actions, including debarment for a period of two (2) years, were implemented and are detailed below.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 52 (Wednesday, March 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12734-12735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04489]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Office of the Secretary
Findings of Research Misconduct
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Findings of research misconduct have been made against Liping
Zhang, Ph.D. (Respondent), former Assistant Professor in the Department
of Medicine, Section of Nephrology, Baylor College of Medicine.
Respondent engaged in research misconduct in research supported by U.S.
Public Health Service (PHS) funds, specifically National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes
of Health (NIH), grants R37 DK037175 and P30 DK079638 and National
Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, grant P30 CA016672. Administrative
actions, including debarment for a period of two (2) years, were
implemented and are detailed below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheila R. Garrity, JD, MPH, MBA,
Director, Office of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite
240, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 453-8200.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that the Office of
Research Integrity (ORI) and the Suspension and Debarment Official
(SDO) have taken final action in the following case:
Liping Zhang, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine (BCM): Based on
evidence from an investigation conducted by BCM, ORI's oversight review
of BCM's investigation, and additional evidence obtained and analysis
conducted by ORI during its oversight review, ORI found that Dr. Liping
Zhang, former Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine,
Section of Nephrology, BCM, engaged in research misconduct under 42 CFR
part 93 in research supported by PHS funds, specifically NIDDK, NIH,
grants R37 DK037175 and P30 DK079638 and NCI, NIH, grant P30 CA016672.
ORI found by a preponderance of the evidence that Respondent
intentionally and knowingly falsified and/or fabricated western blot
images and microscopy images by manipulating the images, using
unrelated images, or reusing and relabeling the same images to
represent falsely different experimental results in three (3) PHS-
supported unpublished manuscripts submitted for publication and four
(4) grant applications submitted for PHS funds. ORI found that these
acts constitute a significant departure from accepted practices of the
relevant research community.
The affected manuscripts and grant applications are:
<bullet> Nucleolar protein 66 functions as a novel negative
regulator of satellite cells. Original manuscript submitted to EMBO
Reports in October 2017 (hereafter referred to as ``EMBO Rep. First
Submission'').
<bullet> Nucleolar protein 66 functions as a novel negative
regulator of satellite cells. Second submission to EMBO Reports in
April 2018 (hereafter referred to as ``EMBO Rep. Second Submission'').
<bullet> NO66, an endogenous mediator of muscle growth, suppresses
myogenic genes by forming repressive complex with RBBP4 and HDAC2.
Original manuscript submitted to Cell Reports in July 2015 (hereafter
referred to as ``Cell Rep. Submission'').
<bullet> R01 DK037175-32, ``Protein nutrition in experimental
uremia,'' submitted to NIDDK, NIH, on March 3, 2017, awarded from May
2, 2018-March 31, 2022.
<bullet> R01 AR070845-01A1, ``A new pathway to muscle atrophy in
chronic kidney disease,'' submitted to National Institute of Arthritis
and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), NIH, on November 3,
2016, administratively withdrawn by NIAMS on March 1, 2019.
<bullet> R01 AR069533-01A1, ``Epigenetic control of skeletal muscle
development and aging-related muscle regeneration,'' submitted to
NIAMS, NIH, on March 1, 2016, administratively withdrawn by NIAMS on
November 1, 2018.
<bullet> R01 DK116886-01, ``A demethylase-dependent mechanism
regulates whitening of brown adipocytes and obesity,'' submitted to
NIDDK, NIH, on June 2, 2017, administratively withdrawn by NIAMS on
November 2, 2019.
Specifically, ORI found by a preponderance of the evidence that
Respondent engaged in research misconduct by intentionally and
knowingly falsifying and/or fabricating:
[[Page 12735]]
<bullet> a western blot image in Figure 1G of EMBO Rep. Second
Submission by manipulating a part of the source image to falsely
represent an increase in myosin heavy chain expression in
differentiation medium.
<bullet> immunofluorescent microscopy images in Figure 2A of EMBO
Rep. First Submission and Figure 4A of NIH grant application R01
AR070845-01A1 by manipulating parts of the source images to falsely
represent the absence of NO66 and Pax7 co-expression in Pax7+ cells.
<bullet> western blot images in Figure 5A of EMBO Rep. First
Submission, Figure Expanded View (EV) 5C of EMBO Rep. Second
Submission, Figure 8A of NIH grant application R01 DK037175-32, Figure
7A of NIH grant application R01 DK116886-01, and Figure 11A of NIH
grant application R01 AR070845-01A1 by manipulating parts of the source
images to falsely represent: (1) a lack of expression of retinoblastoma
binding protein 4 in the IgG sample, and (2) a positive expression of
histone deacetylase 2 in the sample treated with anti-HA antibody.
<bullet> Figure 2G of EMBO Rep. First Submission, Figures 2H, 6E,
and 7C of EMBO Rep. Second Submission, Figure 3G of Cell Rep.
Submission, Figure 3D of NIH grant application R01 AR069533-01A1, and
Figure 8C of NIH grant application R01 AR070845-01A1 by reusing and
relabeling western blot images to falsely represent both myogenin and
GAPDH expression as follows:
--An image of bands representing GAPDH expression was reused and
relabeled in: Figure 2G (second row) of EMBO Rep. First Submission,
Figure 2H (second row) of EMBO Rep. Second Submission, Figure 3G (third
row) of Cell Rep. Submission, Figure 3D (second row) of R01 AR069533-
01A1, and Figure 8C (second row) of R01 AR070845-01A1 to represent
myogenin expression
--An image of bands representing IGF1R expression was reused and
relabeled in: Figure 6E (second row) and Figure 7C (second row) of EMBO
Rep. Second Submission to represent GAPDH expression
<bullet> Figure 4A of EMBO Rep. First Submission, Figure 6A of EMBO
Rep. Second Submission, Figure 5A of Cell Rep. Submission, Figure 7A of
NIH grant application R01 AR069533-01A1, Figure 10A of NIH grant
application R01 AR070845-01A1, and Figure 7A of NIH grant application
R01 DK037175-32 by reusing and relabeling one western blot image to
falsely represent the results of two replicated experiments.
<bullet> Figures 4B and 5B of EMBO Rep. First Submission, Figure 6B
of EMBO Rep. Second Submission, Figure 5C of Cell Rep. Submission,
Figure 7B of NIH grant application R01 DK116886-01, Figures 7B and 8B
of NIH grant application R01 DK037175-32, Figures 10B and 11B of NIH
grant application R01 AR070845-01A1, and Figure 7B of NIH grant
application R01 AR069533-01A1 by reusing and relabeling three sets of
bands from the same source western blot images to falsely represent the
expression of different proteins as follows:
--An image of a band was reused and relabeled in:
[ssquf] Figure 5B (second band in first row) of EMBO Rep. First
Submission, Figure 7B (second band in first row) of R01 DK116886-01,
Figure 8B (second band in first row) of R01 DK037175-32, and Figure 11B
(second band in first row) of R01 AR070845-01A1 to represent GAL4.
[ssquf] Figure 4B (third band in first row) of EMBO Rep. First
Submission, Figure 5C (third band in first row) of Cell Rep.
Submission, Figure 6B (third band in first row) of EMBO Rep. Second
Submission, Figure 7B (third band in first row) of R01 DK037175-32,
Figure 10B (third band in first row) of R01 AR070845-01A1, and Figure
7B (third band in first row) of R01 AR069533-01A1 to represent MHC.
--An image of another band was reused and relabeled in:
[ssquf] Figure 5B (second band in second row) of EMBO Rep. First
Submission, Figure 7B (second band in second row) of R01 DK116886-01,
Figure 8B (second band in second row) of R01 DK037175-32, and Figure
11B (second band in second row) of R01 AR070845-01A1 to represent NO66.
[ssquf] Figure 4B (third band in third row) of EMBO Rep. First
Submission, Figure 5C (third band in third row) of Cell Rep.
Submission, Figure 6B (third band in third row) of EMBO Rep. Second
Submission, Figure 7B (third band in third row) of R01 DK037175-32,
Figure 10B (third band in third row) of R01 AR070845-01A1, and Figure
7B (third band in second row) of R01 AR069533-01A1 to represent
myogenin.
--An image of two other bands was reused and relabeled in:
[ssquf] Figure 5B (first and second bands in bottom row) of EMBO
Rep. First Submission, Figure 7B (first and second bands in bottom row)
of R01 DK116886-01, Figure 8B (first and second bands in bottom row) of
R01 DK037175-32, and Figure 11B (first and second bands in bottom row)
of R01 AR070845-01A1 to represent H3.
[ssquf] Figure 4B (first and second bands in bottom row) of EMBO
Rep. First Submission, Figure 5C (first and second bands in bottom row)
of Cell Rep. Submission, Figure 6B (first and second bands in bottom
row) of EMBO Rep. Second Submission, Figure 7B (first and second bands
in bottom row) of R01 DK037175-32, Figure 10B (first and second bands
in bottom row) of R01 AR070845-01A1 to represent GAPDH, and Figure 7B
(first and second bands in bottom row) of R01 AR069533-01A1 to
represent GAPDH.
On December 6, 2024, based on the information in the administrative
record, the HHS SDO proposed a two-year period of debarment under 2 CFR
180.800(d)--``Any other cause that is so serious or compelling in
nature that it affects your present responsibility'' to protect the
Federal Government's interest. HHS provided Respondent the opportunity
to contest the proposed debarment under 42 CFR part 93 by requesting a
hearing before an administrative law judge with the HHS Departmental
Appeals Board or alternatively, in lieu of requesting a hearing, to
contest under 2 CFR part 180. Respondent did not contest within the
prescribed 30-day notice period. Accordingly, the following
administrative actions have been implemented:
(1) For a period of two (2) years, beginning on January 16, 2025,
Respondent is debarred from participating in ``covered transactions''
as defined in 42 CFR 180.200 and procurement transactions covered under
the Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR chapter 1).
(2) For a period of two (2) years, beginning on January 7, 2025,
Respondent 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 a consultant.
Dated: March 13, 2025.
Sheila R. Garrity,
Director, Office of Research Integrity, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Health.
[FR Doc. 2025-04489 Filed 3-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-31-P
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