Despite receiving a much-improved bill of health this month from a federal monitor, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey’s troubles may not be over. A previously undisclosed portion of the monitor’s report — which was released as federal oversight of the university ended after two years — found that the institution had “no research compliance capability,” according to The Star-Ledger, a newspaper in New Jersey.

That finding, which the university disputes, could jeopardize the health of patients in clinical studies and the ability of the institution to obtain federal research grants, the newspaper said.

The Star-Ledger said it was able to review a copy of the full report by the monitor, including sections that had not been made public when it was released, on January 3. The publicly released portions were edited to omit details of any continuing investigations, the newspaper said, adding that the final report cited 42 open investigative files based on “allegations of legal and ethical breaches or conflicts of interest.”

The New Jersey university agreed to be subject to federal oversight in late 2005 as part of an agreement intended to shield the corruption-plagued institution from criminal prosecution on charges of Medicaid fraud. The university was not prosecuted, but a former dean and a powerful state senator face fraud and other charges.

University officials vehemently challenged the federal monitor’s assertions that it lacks necessary oversight of its research activities, the newspaper reported. It quoted Denise V. Rodgers, executive vice president for academic and clinical affairs at the university, as saying that the institution has a “significant amount of research compliance.” —Sara Hebel