ANIMAL The Animal Core for the Cancer Center (CC) at the University of Michigan provides a wide range of services to CC members, all of which are related to the care and use of animals in biomedical and cancer research. The goal of the Animal Core and the University of Michigan Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) is to maintain all animals under specific-pathogen-free status. Maintaining healthy research animal models for CC members is of utmost importance for sustaining animal research and experimental outcomes. Animal housing and husbandry will be provided in dedicated animal facilities by dedicated husbandry technicians and the CC animal facility supervisor. Rodents housed within the CC are maintained in microisolator cages on static or ventilated racks; biohazard housing is available in isolated cubicles. Quarterly rodent health monitoring and surveillance is performed to screen for pathogen status. Additional non-rodent species used by CC members are similarly cared for according to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. F. Claire Hankenson, DVM, MS, DACLAM, assumed responsibility as Director of the Animal Core in 2004 and continues to serve as Director of the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory (ADL) within ULAM. Robert C. Dysko, DVM, DACLAM, Associate Director of ULAM and former Director of the Animal Core, will oversee the health surveillance program and continue to serve as a consultant to the new Animal Core Director. The Cancer Center members are provided with priority access to veterinary care, with both a designated faculty veterinarian and licensed veterinary technician. Members have access to the ADL, supervised by a certified Medical Technologist, for clinical pathology diagnostics of all species. Specialized equipment for evaluation of rodent-derived specimens is available in the ADL. As well, CC members have priority access to a veterinary pathologist, J. Erby Wilkinson, DVM, PhD, DACVP, for consultation and necropsy and histopathology services. A dedicated necropsy technician and certified histotechnologist are also available to CC members; all necropsy services are to be performed in a renovated state-of-the-art pathology suite maintained within ULAM. These diagnostic services (veterinary, clinical pathology, necropsy, histology and anatomic pathology) are to be offered at no-cost to CC members; as well, members will receive a variable discount on per diem rates calculated annually through ULAM.
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