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Vertebrate Animal Subjects

"Quality science demands quality animal care! Since the goal of biomedical research is good science, it is within the selfinterest of all research institutions to have a good care and use program. In research involving animals, the most significant variables are the animals themselves. There are multiple factors unrelated to the experimental design which can influence an animal's physiological and behavioral status. . . . ; therefore, it is imperative that these factors be critically controlled to minimize data variability. These controls can best be accomplished with a well managed, high quality animal care and use program."

Institutional Administrator's Manual for Laboratory Animal Care and Use, p. 5

All research, certainly that federally funded, involving the use of vertebrate animals, must provide plans or programs for the animals' humane care and well-being. Federal law requires the establishment of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) with the responsibilities for reviewing protocols and training programs, specifications for caging systems, requirements for veterinary care, surgical procedures and occupational health programs. It is also charged with identifying animal care deficiencies and making recommendations for the correction of those deficiencies. It must also make semiannual inspection of all animal study areas and animal facilities and make reports to the Institutional Official. It must also investigate all allegations of improprieties as well as obvious violations or accidents.

Old Westbury's IACUC

The IACUC at Old Westbury is made up of Judith Johnson, James Llana, Richard Mann (DVM), Fernando Nieto, Christopher Olsen, Stephen Pryor, Kenneth Stein and Marie Metlay (Chair). All research programs, including grant applications, involving the use of vertebrate animals should be submitted to her at her office in the Natural Science Building (S239) and a Memorandum of Approval secured before the start of the research.