Ex-Alabama-Birmingham Prof Punished for Scientific Misconduct

A former assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham engaged in scientific misconduct by reporting false information from research in seven publications, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday. In an announcement published in the Federal Register, the agency's Office of Research Integrity said that Juan Luis R. Contreras, an assistant professor of surgery at Alabama-Birmingham, had agreed to exclude himself from federal duties for three years, although he did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the agreement. (This item has been updated from an earlier version to correct an error.)