A research biologist at the Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Chicago faked images and inflated sample sizes in published papers and a grant application, the federal agency has determined.
Hee-Jeong Im Sampen, also a research professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Illinois, Chicago, “engaged in research misconduct by intentionally, knowingly and/or recklessly falsifying/fabricating data” in three published papers, an unpublished manuscript, a poster presentation, and a grant application for VA funding, according to a Federal Register notice.
Sampen, who publishes under the name Hee-Jeong Im, is corresponding author on all of the published papers the VA identified. The articles, which also list an affiliation with Rush University Medical Center, are:
- PKCδ null mutations in a mouse model of osteoarthritis alter osteoarthritic pain independently of joint pathology by augmenting NGF/TrkA-induced axonal outgrowth, Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2016, cited 36 times, according to Clarivate’s Web of Science
- Environmental Disruption of Circadian Rhythm Predisposes Mice to Osteoarthritis‐Like Changes in Knee Joint, Journal of Cellular Physiology, 2015, cited 43 times
- Development of an Experimental Animal Model for Lower Back Pain by Percutaneous Injury-Induced Lumbar Facet Joint Osteoarthritis, Journal of Cellular Physiology, 2015, cited 25 times
PubPeer commenters have pointed out questionable images in Sampen’s work as far back as 2015, but none of the papers in the VA’s findings seem to have attracted attention on the site.
Sampen did not immediately respond to our request for comment, but told us she would comment this coming Monday. [See an update here.] According to the VA’s announcement, she appealed the findings, but the VA’s Under Secretary for Health upheld them in an April decision.
As “corrective actions,” the VA has requested retractions of the three papers and permanently banned Sampen from conducting agency research.
Like Retraction Watch? You can make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, add us to your RSS reader, or subscribe to our daily digest. If you find a retraction that’s not in The Retraction Watch Database, you can let us know here. For comments or feedback, email us at [email protected].
VERY INTERESTING BY WHY WOULD A SCIENTIST FALSIFY DATA/INFO THAT IS NOT LOGICAL AND I BELIEVE IT VIOLATES THE WHOLE POINT OF DOING SCIENTIFIC WORK EFFICIENTLY & EFFECTIVELY!