Investigating David Baltimore and Thereza Imanishi-Kari

Abstract

This case study case is designed to teach about federal support for basic biomedical research and the shifting regulatory terrain for oversight of scientific conduct. The case is especially useful for instructors in healthcare policy, healthcare politics, and NIH-mandated courses in the responsible conduct of research (RCR).Issues of scientific misconduct and responsibility for the oversight of biomedical research came to a head in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In the course of a series of investigations into scientific fraud and misconduct involving Nobel laureate David Baltimore and research scientists Thereza Imanishi-Kari, new policies were established in the United States and internationally. The institutional structure of oversight of scientific conduct by U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) expanded, first with the creation of the Office of Scientific Integrity and later, the Office of Research Integrity (ORI). Set in December 1991, the case asks whether Baltimore should resign as president of Rockefeller University. His short tenure had been rocked by controversy over allegations concerning a publication from 1986 in the leading journal, Cell. Although Baltimore himself was never accused of misconduct or data manipulation, investigations into the underlying data led to questions about his role as co-author. His position was weakened when he staunchly defended his collaborator and clashed with John Dingell, a powerful member of Congress. Furthermore, faculty members at Rockefeller were opposed to the institutional changes he was imposing and used the investigations as a basis for challenging Baltimore.