Second retraction for researcher who faked 70+ experiments

Two researchers found to have faked data by the U.S. Office of Research Integrity (ORI) have lost a paper that they co-authored.

According to the ORI report issued on May 25, Ricky Malhotra, one of the researchers in question, admitted to fabricating 74 experiments, and falsifying well over 100 Western blots while at the Universities of Michigan (UM) and Chicago (UC). One week later, the ORI issued additional findings about Karen D’Souza, a colleague of Malhotra’s at the UC, concluding that she had also falsified some data.

Both researchers agreed to the retraction of a 2010 paper published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC), the reports note.

Here’s the retraction notice, issued on July 1:

This article has been retracted by the publisher. An investigation by the Office of Research Integrity determined that falsified and/or fabricated data were included in Figs. 1, B and C; 2, A and B; 4, C and D; and 7, A and B (https://federalregister.gov/a/2016-12800 and https://federalregister.gov/a/2016-13072).

The 2010 paper, “Gαq-mediated activation of GRK2 by mechanical stretch in cardiac myocytes. THE ROLE OF PROTEIN KINASE C,” has been cited 25 times, according to Thomson Reuters Web of Science.

Last year, another of Malhotra’s papers in the JBC was retracted for unclear reasons.

According to the ORI, Malhotra

reused and falsely relabeled Western blot gel images, falsified the related densitometry measurements based on the falsified Western blots, and falsified and/or fabricated data for experiments that were not performed.

Furthermore, the ORI noted that Malhotra

continued this falsification at UC, after the UM research misconduct investigation was completed.

The ORI findings on D’Souza concluded that she had

reused and falsely relabeled and/or falsely spliced Western blot images, falsified the related densitometry measurements based on the falsified Western blots, and falsified and/or fabricated data for experiments that were not performed or from unrelated experiments.

As we previously reported, Malhotra’s LinkedIn page listed him at PicoCal until May, but currently as an “Independent Consultant” in the Boston area. Meanwhile, according to D’Souza’s LinkedIn page, she is a Health Scientist at the Carl T. Hayden Research Foundation Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Arizona.

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