Case Study Jason Hudson

Source: All information obtained from U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Research Integrity (http://ori.hhs.gov/content/case-summary-jagannathan-jayant)

Case: Research Misconduct (Plagiarism), Jayant Jagannathan, M.D.

Summary:

Dr. Jayant Jagannathan of the University of Virginia Medical Center, was found to have plagiarized several publications whose research was supported by research and training awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These plagiarized publications were also supported by intramural research funds from several organizations including the National institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Surgigical Neurosurgery Branch (NSB), as well as funding from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). Dr. Jagannathan included in five of his own publications an illustration in addition to large amounts of text from the above-mentioned publications which were supported by ten separate NIH grant awards as well as the mentioned intramural funding from NSB, NINDS, and NIDCR.

Publications including Plagiarized material:

1. Jagannathan, J., Li, J., Szerlip, N., Vortmeyer, A.O., Lonser, R.R., Oldfied, E.H., Zhuang, Z. "Application and implementation of selective tissue microdissection and proteomic profiling in neurological disease." Neurosurgery 64:4-14, 2009 (to be retracted)

2. Jagannathan, J., Prevedello, D.M., Dumont, A.S., Laws, E.R. "Cellular Signaling Molecules as Therapeutic Targets in the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme." Neurosurgical Focus 20(4):E8, 2006 (retracted "due to plagiarism," Neurosurgical Focus 30(2):E8r, 2011)

3. Kanter, A.S., Jagannathan, J., Shaffrey, C.I., Ouellet, J.A., Mummaneni, P.V. "Inflammatory and dysplastic lesions involving the spine." Neurosurgical Clinics of North America 19(1):93-109, 2008

4. Jagannathan, J., Dumont, A.S., Prevedello, D.M., Oskouian, R.J., Lopes, B., Jane, J.A. Jr, Laws, E.R. Jr. "Genetics of pituitary adenomas: Current theories and future implications." Neurosurgical Focus 19(5):E4, 2005 (retracted "due to plagiarism," Neurosurgical Focus 30(2):E4r, 2011)

5. Jagannathan, J. "Role of calcium influx and modulation of local neurotransmitters as hallmarks of pediatric traumatic brain injury." Biomarkers Med. 3:95-97, 2009 (retracted online 9/11/ 2010)

Questions:

1. What punishment is suitable to fit the offense?

2. Should those authors listed/not listed as the lead author receive the same punishment?

Case Study Jason Hudson

Result:

Dr. Jagannathan entered a Voluntary Settlement Agreement with the following limitations for four years, beginning October 20, 2011:

1. Dr. Jagannathan’s research will be supervised and that the institution employing him must submit a plan for his supervision to ORI for approval prior to the submission for support from the U.S. Public health Service (PHS) on research projects on which Dr. Jagannathan’s participation is proposed. This plan for supervision must be specifically designed so that the scientific integrity of his research contribution is maintained. Dr. Jagannathan agreed to not participate in any PHS-supported research after sixty days from the date of the Agreement until such a supervision plan is submitted to and approved by ORI.

2. Any institution employing him must submit a certification to ORI that Dr. Jagannathan’s research is based on actual experiments and that all of his data are derived by means compliant with the standards of scientific integrity, and that the data, procedures, and methodology are accdurately reported in the application, report, manuscript, or abstract involving PHS-supported research that Dr. jagannathan participates in.

3. For publication 3, a letter to the editor must be submitted for the removal of Dr. Jagannathan’s paper because of plagiarized text contained within the paper, after first sending this letter of removal to ORI for approval prior to sending it to the editor.

4. Dr. Jagannathan must exclude himself from serving in any advisory capacity to PHS including but not limited to, service on PHS advisory committees, boards, and/or peer review committees, or as a consultant.

All information obtained from U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Research Integrity (http://ori.hhs.gov/content/case-summary-jagannathan-jayant)