Christiani said that conducting research in foreign countries can be difficult, but that SPH takes proper steps to monitor studies.

"It presents some challenges, but not anything that's too difficult to overcome," he said.

Christiani said he and several other faculty members visited China in March 1999--months before Zahner's complaint was filed--for a site evaluation of the research to make sure procedures were being followed correctly.

Herman said Dr. Xiping Xu of Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Program for Population Genetics at SPH spends "a good deal of time" in China overseeing the studies.

And according to Herman, all research conducted by SPH has to receive approval from the school's Human Subjects Committee to make sure federal regulations are followed.

"The general questions raised by the complaint about protection and confidentiality of participants are questions we raise ourselves and monitor closely," Herman said.

Officials from the government's newly renamed Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) would not comment on Harvard's case specifically but said that routine procedures are followed in making a final report on all complaints filed with the agency.

"We can ask for further explanation, make a finding or do a site visit," said Paul W. Goebel from OHRP.