Laboratory Animal Sciences 2017

Dr. Klas Abelson obtained a degree of Master of Medical Sciences in 2001 and a PhD in Comparative Medicine and Lab Animal Science in 2005, from Uppsala University, Sweden. The area of his research was originally focused on the development of experimental models for studying pain ... pharmacology in rats, but turned more and more towards the welfare of the animals. At present, he is working on the development of objective measurement of pain and stress in rats and mice, together with the development of novel methods for alleviating pain and stress in this species. During the years 2006-2008, he was an Assistant Professor in Lab Animal Science at the Medical Faculty of Uppsala University. In 2009, he moved to the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, where he is currently working as an Associate Professor. Besides conducting research in animal welfare, he is responsible for a wide range of teaching and training activities in lab animal science and animal experimentation for post-graduates, PhD students, master students, and animal technicians at the faculty.

Szczepan is a Comparative Medicine Veterinarian & Scientist turned "technology geek" who currently heads the Global Emerging Technologies (GET) within Comparative Medicine at Novartis. In this position, Szczepan leads integrated enterprise strategy for digital and non-digital ... technologies. Specifically, the non-digital GET initiative focuses on stakeholder engagement to understand current status and application, identifies adaptation hurdles and develops qualification pathways for Microphysiological Systems (MPS) technologies. In parallel, the goal of the digital GET initiative is coordination and prioritization of the development and integrated use of patient-relevant and translatable digital biomarkers for efficacy and safety studies and Extended Reality (XR) technologies for telemedicine. Szczepan has played instrumental roles in founding and leading the Global Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) MPS and Digital Biomarkers Groups. Szczepan is a graduate of the University of Delaware and the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. He completed his residency in Laboratory Animal Medicine and received a Master of Science degree in Comparative Medicine from the University of Washington School of Medicine. Szczepan began his career at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center as a Research Associate where he was recruited to develop the first canine embryonic stem cell lines and to collaborate on the development of novel canine transplantation protocols to eliminate graft-versus-host disease. Prior to joining Novartis, Szczepan held multiple start-up and faculty positions and served on multiple boards. Currently, he is serving as a as a vice-chair of the IQ Microphysiological Systems (MPS) Affiliate and leads the IQ MPS Affiliate Regulatory Outreach Group. He is a Medical & Scientific Advisory Board member at the Canines-N-Kids Foundation and serves as an AAALAC ad hoc specialist and a Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods (SACATM) ad hoc member. Szczepan is the founding member of the North American 3Rs Collaborative (NA3RsC) MPS Initiative and a Boston Innovation Advisory Council member.

Sylvie Cloutier is a Research Assistant Professor in the Center for the Study of Animal Well-being, Department of VCAPP, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman WA. She received her PhD in psychology from the Université du Québec à Montréal ... (1997), Montréal, Canada. She pursued post-doctoral research at Washington State University, Center for the Study of Animal Well-being before being promoted to her current research assistant professor position. She is the ISAE (International Society for Applied Ethology) representative on the AAALAC International Board of Trustees, and also a member of the Washington State University Environmental Enrichment Committee. She is a past president and current board member of the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics. The focus of her research is on animal welfare and human-animal interaction in the laboratory environment.

Dr. Nicole Duffee is the Director of Education & Scientific Affairs for the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. She leads the AALAS Learning Library development team for the online learning platform and courses in laboratory animal science. She oversees and ... contributes to print and digital publications of AALAS educational resources. She directs the Grants for Laboratory Animal Science program. Dr. Duffee is a former president of the Laboratory Animal Welfare Training Exchange (LAWTE).

Brian L. Ermeling, DVM, MS, DACLAM is the Director, Animal Resources Center at The Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida. He also serves as a voting member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). In ... addition to his institutional responsibilities he also serves on the Awards Committee for the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. Dr. Ermeling recently served 50% time as the Director, Animal Resources Center and Attending Veterinarian (AV) at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI), Jupiter, Florida. In addition to these responsibilities he was a Consulting Veterinarian serving as the Director, Animal Resources Center and Attending Veterinarian at the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Fort Pierce, Florida. Previously Dr. Ermeling was the Director, Animal Care Quality Assurance at the University of Missouri; Deputy Associate Chief of Staff at the St. Louis VA Medical Center; the Director, Animal Resources Center, Dartmouth College, and the Associate Veterinarian, Dartmouth College. In addition to these responsibilities he was a member of the Council on Accreditation for the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), and an Adhoc Consultant for AAALAC. Dr. Ermeling was a founding member and President of the Northern Mountain branch of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS), a member of National AALAS, ACLAM, AVMA, FVMA, Palm Beach Veterinary Association and the Treasure Coast Veterinary Medical Association among other professional activities. Dr. Ermeling received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the University of Missouri - Columbia. He practiced small animal medicine in Franklin Park, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri prior to returning for his Master of Science degree and Residency in Laboratory Animal Medicine at the University of Missouri. His research interests included polyclonal antibody production in chickens, vascular physiology, and development of a trans-hepatic shunt model in swine. He was previously enlisted in the U.S. Army for 4 years as an Animal Care Specialist (91T), performing work in a research laboratory at the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research working to develop vaccines for Canine Ehrlichiosis, and various rickettsial diseases, including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Scrub Typhus.

Jeff Everitt received his DVM from Cornell University and then completed a residency in comparative pathology at the University of Pennsylvania and a postdoctoral research appointment at the University of Illinois. Dr. Everitt served for 17 years on the senior scientific staff of ... the CIIT Centers for Health Research where he attained Senior Scientist status. At CIIT he led the animal care and use program as well as a multidisciplinary research program that examined the health effects of inhaled fibrous particulate. He currently serves as a Director of Comparative Biology and Medicine at GlaxoSmithKline and as an Adjunct Professor of Pathology at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, NC. Dr. Everitt is board certified in anatomic pathology (ACVP) and in laboratory animal medicine (ACLAM) and is a Fellow in the International Academy of Toxicologic Pathologists (FIATP). He has served in leadership positions in multiple professional organizations in laboratory animal science, pathology and toxicology during the past twenty years. Dr. Everitt has lectured and published widely on best practices for the control of variability and bias in the conduct of in vivo studies.

Andrea Gay is Regional Sales Manager for the Southern Territory of the U.S. as well as the International Sales Representative for The Andersons Bedding Products. Andrea graduated from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, IL with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and ... learning disabilities. Andrea has been involved in the Lab Animal Industry for 13 years. Prior to working for The Andersons Bedding Products, Andrea worked at Shepherd Specialty Papers. Andrea joined The Andersons Bedding Products in 2008 as Regional Sales Manager. Andrea is a member of National AALAS, LAMA, ATA, District IV and District 7 branches of AALAS, as well as the IAT and ANZLAA international branches. Andrea serves on the Exhibitor Advisory Council for AALAS and also serves as the Awards Chair for the Research Triangle Branch Executive Council in North Carolina, as well as being a member of The National Weights and Measures Southern Branch. Andrea has published an article in The Enrichment Record on Nesting & Thermoregulation.

He obtained his veterinary medicine degree at the University of Zaragoza (Spain) in 1990, and was for 17 years Director of the Laboratory Animal Services at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. In parallel, between 2003 and 2008 he was also a member of the Association ... for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC International) Council on Accreditation. He is member of the Ethics Committee of the University of Navarra since its creation in 1997 (now as external member). Current position In 2008 he joined AAALAC International Senior Director and Director of European Activities. Since 2013 he is Senior Director for Europe and Latin America. Other related activities He served first as Secretary (2002-2008) and later as President (2009-2010) of the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA). Since 2011 he is member of the ICLAS Governing Board Since 2010 he is representative of the Spanish Association for Laboratory Animal Science (SECAL) to the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS). Since 2010 he is member of the Council of Management of the journal Laboratory Animals Ltd. and since 2011, member of the Executive Committee. He is Past-President of SECAL, the Spanish Assocation for Laboratory Animal Science.

He obtained his veterinary medicine degree at the University of Zaragoza (Spain) in 1990, and was for 17 years Director of the Laboratory Animal Services at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. In parallel, between 2003 and 2008 he was also a member of the Association ... for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC International) Council on Accreditation. He is member of the Ethics Committee of the University of Navarra since its creation in 1997 (now as external member).

Dr. Nancy Halpern represents animal owners, animal-related businesses, veterinarians, animal research facilities, and nonprofit associations in support of their interests in the humane use of animals, and to promote animal and public health at Fox Rothschild LLP, a national law ... firm. Dr. Halpern, also a patent attorney, represents clients in intellectual property and life sciences. A licensed veterinarian in the State of New Jersey, Dr. Halpern previously served as Director of the Division of Animal Health for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and New Jersey's State Veterinarian where she was responsible for: the state's emergency response regarding animal care concerns to natural or man-made disasters; supervision of the only animal health diagnostic laboratory in New Jersey; and implementation of regulatory and statutory provisions governing animal care, well-being and safety, as well as animal disease surveillance and control. Dr. Halpern serves on the Board of Directors for Americans for Medical Progress. Dr. Halpern provides the American Veterinary Medical Association with legislative and regulatory services (excluding services covered by the Lobbying Disclosure Act, 2 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq.), represents the New York Pet Welfare Association, and was appointed to the Government Affairs Committee of the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research.

Dr Kostomitsopoulos graduated from the Veterinary Faculty of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1985 and obtained his PhD on Laboratory Animal Science from the Medical School of the University of Athens (1992-1997). During 1996 he attended a four months training ... program on Laboratory Animal Management and Medicine in Veterinary Resources Program (VRP) of National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) at National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, United States of America. He served as National expert of the Greek Ministry of Agriculture on Laboratory Animal Welfare issues in the Council of Europe and in the European Union (1991-1994). He worked, as a post-doctoral associate researcher, in the Laboratory for Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research of the Medical School of the University of Athens (1996-1999) with main interests on management, anesthesia, analgesia and post-operative care of the animals. Since 1996, he contributed as technical consultant to the design and the construction of the Animal Facilities of the Center for Experimental Surgery of the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens. Since 2002, he is working in the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), Greece as Senior Research Scientist and head of the laboratory animal facilities. His scientific interests are focusing on the proper care and use of laboratory animals, the ethical evaluation of research protocols and the planning, the design and the management of laboratory animal facilities. He was FELASA Vice President for International Liaisons (2009-2014) and Governing Board member of ICLAS (2005-2015). He is ad hoc expert of AAALAC Int. He is member of the COST Action BM 1308 on Sharing Advances on Large Animal Models (2014- ) and member of COST Action B24 on Laboratory Animal Science and Welfare (2003-2008) Dr Kostomitsopoulos have been co-author in over 50 peer reviewed articles in International and Greek scientific journals and 1 book chapter.

Christian Lawrence is currently the Manager of the Aquatic Resources Program (ARP) at Boston Children's Hospital (BCH). ARP administers the zebrafish program at BCH, which is one of the largest and most active of its kind in the world. Mr. Lawrence also serves as a faculty ... member for the Health and Colony Management of Laboratory Fish course at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, and was a Fulbright Specialist at the Bar-Ilan University Faculty of Medicine in Safed, Israel in 2013. He is co-author of The Laboratory Zebrafish, and has written a number of scientific publications on zebrafish biology and culture.

Vatsala Naageshwaran is Director of Operations of Absorption Systems. Prior to joining Absorption Systems she has worked for several biotechnology / pharmaceutical companies as a research scientist with experience in drug discovery, assay validation, and product development. As ... Director of Operations Vatsala manages the West Coast facility of Absorption Systems located in San Diego. She oversees scientific and business operations for the Medical Device, Ocular, PK and Toxicology business verticals offered at this site. She continues to also oversee and expand business operations in India. Previously as Associate Director of Scientific Operations she has collaboratively helped drive research and expansion of CellPortTM, Absorption Systems' exclusive drug transporter technology. As Associate Director she managed a team of account and business managers while maintaining oversight of key high value company accounts. Since she joined the company in 2008, Vatsala has made presentations and performed workshops on behalf of Absorption Systems at various conferences and scientific forums including the 2011 Fall Symposium organized by the Delaware Valley Drug Metabolism Group (DVDMG), IQPC's Clinically Relevant Drug Transporters Conference in 2011 and 2012 and Disso India in 2013. She is on the scientific committee of SPDS (Society for Pharmaceutical Dissolution Science) and involved with various scientific organizations in San Diego. Prior to joining Absorption Systems, Vatsala made significant contributions at Supergen in the development of several drug candidates. Her research has been featured at national conferences such as AACR and EORTC and she has authored publications submitted to peer-reviewed journals. Prior to this Vatsala worked at Myriad Genetics focusing on BRAC clinical data analysis for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and as a senior data reviewer of CODIS for forensic DNA analysis. Vatsala has a Masters degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Mt Holyoke College.

Already as an undergraduate student in Animal Sciences, I realized that there was more to animal science than making cows give more milk. When graduating in 1994, I had settled for ethology and animal welfare as my professional habitat, which I haven't left since. Having ... completed my PhD in ethology, also at the Swedish University of Agricultural University, in 2001 I started my postdoc career by going against all recommendations, moving to work with something I had never worked with - laboratory rodent behaviour and welfare - in a place where nobody worked with this topic. This resulted in the establishment of the Laboratory Animal Science group at the Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC) in Porto, Portugal, a research group I coordinate since 2005. What saved my academic sanity when changing topic, institution and country was largely the collaboration initiated in 2002 with Professor Peter Sandøe, Danish Centre for Bioethics and Risk Assessment. This collaboration is now the basis for a productive line of empirical research into the ethics of animal research and technology, developed in parallel with the research into behaviour and welfare. Having learnt about the difficulties in breeding mice the hard way, I have a particular research interest in maternal behaviour and pup survival. I'm a member of the editorial board of the journal Laboratory Animals, former council member and present member of the ethics council of the International Society for Applied Ethology and executive board member of the European Society for Agricultural and Food Ethics. I'm the executive secretary of the institutional animal ethics committee and coordinate our accredited FELASA Cat C course in laboratory animal science.

Dr. Perret-Gentil currently serves as University Veterinarian and Director of the Laboratory Animal Resources Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is also the Attending Veterinarian for XENOSTART, Crown Scientific and the University of Texas of the Permian Basin ... He is President and Founder of Perret-Gentil Lab Animal Veterinary Services. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science, a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, a Residency and Master of Science in Comparative Medicine and a Fellowship in Experimental Minimally Invasive Surgery. Past Veterinary Medicine employment has been with the United States Army, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Merck, University of Florida and Texas Tech HSC. As of the October 24, 2020, Dr. Perret-Gentil has published or contributed to 66 papers, articles, chapters and abstracts. He has presented 419 special presentations at various academic and research institutions in the US and abroad, as well as national and international meetings. He serves as ad hoc Specialist for AAALAC International (having conducted 39 site visits), and as consultant to several governments, biotechnology industry and other institutions of higher education in the United States and abroad. Dr. Perret-Gentil has assisted his current institution as well as others as consultant to prepare and obtain accreditation from AAALAC International in the US and abroad.

Merel Ritskes-Hoitinga is Professor in Laboratory Animal Science and head of the central animal laboratory CDL at Radboudumc (university medical center) in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. She is dedicated to education and research aimed at achieving better science ánd better ... laboratory animal welfare simultaneously. She was FELASA president, FELASA vice-president of the working groups and chair of Laboratory Animals Limited. She is now secretary elect of ECLAM. She has founded SYRCLE, Systematic Review Center on Laboratory animal Experimentation (www.SYRCLE.nl), focussing on systematic reviews of animal studies. Systematic reviews aid in (1) making evidence-based choices for an animal model, (2) making publication quality transparent (3) implementing the 3Rs, and, last but not least, (4) making an evidence-based overview of the results of relevant animal studies when preparing for clinical trials. SYRCLE is dedicated to the development of teaching and training, of methodological tools and the execution of systematic reviews of animal studies. SYRCLE has established international collaboration with the following international networks: CAMARADES, Cochrane Collaboration, GRADE, Evidence Synthesis International, Evidence-based Toxicology and Evidence-based research network.

Ana is a researcher with a degree in Biology from University of Coimbra (2005) and a PhD in Veterinarian Sciences from ICBAS, University of Porto (2012). Her research line started right after her graduation, in the Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), where she ... intended to understand if different depths of anaesthesia could induce behavioural changes in rodents. This research continued in her PhD and during one year as a post-doc in a project. The gap between the increasing use of zebrafish models and the lack of appropriate knowledge of some procedures in research, such as anaesthesia, led Ana to apply her research line to zebrafish. She was funded by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) as Principal Investigator of a project regarding the effects of anaesthesia in zebrafish development using behavioural tasks, and assessment of morphology, genetic expression, and cellular alterations (IBMC, UTAD, CNBC). Currently, she has got a post-doctoral fellowship to optimize zebrafish anaesthesia using a clinical and animal welfare perspective. Besides this line of research, she is also particularly interested in finding better euthanasia methods and refining other situations in laboratory animals. Since 2007 she is also a trainer in the Laboratory Animal Science course FELASA (category C) at IBMC.

Mary Ann Vasbinder, DVM, DACLAM works in the Office Animal Welfare, Ethics and Strategy at GlaxoSmithKline in King of Prussia, PA. She is responsible for the team providing oversight of animal studies conducted on behalf of GSK external to the company. The other piece of her work ... includes strategic planning for national advocacy efforts through work with organizations such as the IQ Institutional Official Consortium (IOC), Americans for Medical Progress, One Health Research and collaborations with European and Asian partners. Mary Ann received her veterinary degree from the University of Florida in 1995. She attended a residency training program at North Carolina State University from 1995-1997. She served as the Attending Veterinarian at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for the Research Triangle Park program from 2006-2010. Her professional interests lie in animal housing, global animal care and use programs, animal behavior, enrichment, training and advancement of US 3Rs strategies.