August 24, 2016
 Earlier this year, the requirement for
Retention of Rodent Surgical Records
went into effect. Although everyone has been doing a great job turning in their records for veterinary faculty review, there is some room for improvement when properly completing the records.
Some common mistakes and how to correct them:
- Incomplete records. All sections of the Rodent Surgical Record Form need to be filled out. Lab-created forms must include all of the same information as would be provided by the standard form.
- Illegible or difficult to follow records. Although shorthand makes things go faster, it is difficult to discern its meaning without a key. If using shorthand, please provide a key. Ditto marks ("), dashes (---), and slashes (//) should not be used.
- Drug abbreviations. Always write out the full names of drugs, especially anesthetics
(like Ketamine and Xylazine) and analgesics (like Buprenorphine or Carprofen).
If you have questions about how to improve your lab's surgical records, please contact the faculty veterinarian for your area. If you don't know your faculty veterinarian, send an inquiry to
[email protected]
and your question will be routed appropriately.
Latest Animal Care & Use Program Activities:
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Join the Animal Care & Use Team at Researchpalooza on August 31! 
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Some may say that the scientific advancements that happen here every day are like magic straight from a movie. As members of the University of Michigan research community and stewards of the Animal Care & Use Program, we recognize that these life-saving achievements would not be possible without a collective, unwavering commitment to excellence and compassion in all aspects of our work.
From life-saving drugs and vaccines, advancements in organ transplantation, and cancer therapies, to name a few, it is difficult
to overstate the important role that animals have, and continue to play, in the development of scientific breakthroughs to benefit both human and animal health. Animals truly are magical creatures, and we are honored to care for them.
Join us for the next journey in animal care and use by visiting the Animal Care & Use Program (Tables 65-68) at Researchpalooza on Wednesday, August 31 from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM in Circle Drive in front of Med Sci I
. As a special celebration of these many milestones, and the important work that comes next, we'll have special giveaways for our animal research community.*
Thank you for your continued commitment to the highest animal welfare standards for all animals under our care. We look forward to continuing this life-changing work with you.
*while supplies last
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Resources Available to Assist with Hazard Administration SOP
Changes and Implementation
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 As a reminder, the "Animals Administered a Hazardous Substance Requiring Containment" Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has recently undergone several important updates. The new procedures are being implemented in two phases based on facility location:
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Phase
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Facilities
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Implementation Date
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I
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MSRB, BSRB, Brehm, and the Cancer Center |
August 15, 2016
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II
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LSI, Dental School, School of Public Health, and NCRC |
September 15, 2016
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Staff in each facility are expected to comply with, and will be held accountable for, all new procedures 30 days after their implementation date
(i.e., all facilities in Phase I must be compliant by September 15, 2016 and all facilities in Phase II must be compliant by October 15, 2016).
One of the key changes to the SOP pertains to wearing approved eyewear in containment areas. Specifically, "when safety glasses are required, individuals that currently wear prescription glasses cannot only wear their current glasses in those [containment] areas."
Two options exist to ensure compliance for individuals wearing prescription glasses:
- Obtain prescription safety glasses through the U-M Department of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health (OSEH)'s Prescription Safety Glasses Program. For more information, refer to program eligibility requirements.
- Purchase a pair of "over the glass" safety glasses to wear over your current glasses.
As part of its "Safety Fits" Program, OSEH has many samples available for individuals to try out before purchasing.
Questions?
Contact
OSEH
at (734) 647-1142 for questions or concerns pertaining to lab safety.
Questions about changes to the Hazard Administration SOP should be directed to the ULAM Training Core
via email
or phone at (734) 763-8039.
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Need Your Anesthetic Machine Serviced Before December?
Contact ULAM Today!
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 If you own or use a vaporizer/anesthetic machine that is due for its yearly maintenance before December 2016 and you would like ULAM to coordinate the servicing on your behalf, please complete and submit the
Authorization Form
by Friday, August 26.
Prior to completing the Authorization Form, please also review the
handout on applicable service and fees
. Vetamac will be on campus to service machines beginning Wednesday, September 7 through Friday, September 9. Their next service dates will be in December 2016.
If you have any questions about requesting service, please contact Amy Boekhout, ULAM Veterinary Technician, at
[email protected]
or (734) 615-2068.
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ULAM Welcomes Two New Faculty Members,
Celebrates Faculty Milestones
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The Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) is pleased to welcome two new faculty veterinarians and celebrate two faculty milestones:
New Faculty Veterinarians
Lucy Kennedy, D.V.M., DACLAM, joined ULAM as a faculty veterinarian in August 2016. Dr. Kennedy is no stranger to the University of Michigan, having spent two years in Dr. Kate Eaton's laboratory studying Helicobacter pylori before completing her D.V.M. at Michigan State University. After finishing her veterinary degree, she returned to U-M and ULAM to complete her residency from 2010-2013. Prior to joining the ULAM faculty earlier this month, Dr. Kennedy served as a Clinical Veterinarian at Case Western Reserve University. Her research interests include studying the effect of the microbiome on reproducibility in mouse research.
Tara Martin, D.V.M., also joined ULAM as a faculty veterinarian in August 2016. Dr. Martin earned her D.V.M. from the Veterinary School at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Prior to joining ULAM, she completed a residency in Laboratory Animal Medicine and a Master's in Comparative and Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University, where she also taught several hands-on training courses for veterinary students. Her research interests include pain control in swine, environmental enrichment, and mucosal immunology.
Faculty Milestones
 Congratulations to the two newest ULAM faculty veterinarians to pass their specialty board examinations and achieve the status of
Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (DACLAM)
: Drs. Portia Allen and Lucy Kennedy. Administered by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, DACLAM is a voluntary certification for those individuals with a recognized background and specialty in the field of laboratory animal medicine. ULAM veterinarian certification is an important factor in the provision of quality care and oversight of animals used in research at U-M. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Allen and Dr. Kennedy on this important milestone, and for their continued commitment to the highest animal welfare standards!
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NIH Seeks Public Comments on Funding Human-Animal Pluripotent Stem Cell Research
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 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is currently seeking public comments regarding proposed changes to the
NIH Guidelines for Stem Cell Research
and the proposed scope of NIH funding for certain human-animal chimera research.
Comments from interested stakeholders and members of the public are due to the NIH by Tuesday, September 6 and should be submitted via the Public Comment Form.
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First Personnel Training Requirement Deadline Approaching Soon
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All laboratory personnel working under an approved IACUC protocol, regardless of handling laboratory animals, are required to complete the MLearning online class ULAM-60000 Orientation for Animal Care and Use Refresher. The only personnel who will be exempt from taking this class are those who completed ULAM-10000 Orientation for Animal Care & Use after May 1, 2015.
Investigators have already completed this IACUC-required training in the first phase of the rollout. Laboratory members will be notified by email with training due as follows:
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Personnel Group
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Training Due Date
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| Last Names beginning in A-I |
September 18
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| Last Names beginning in J-R |
October 18
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| Last Names beginning in S-Z |
November 19
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Personnel who have NOT completed the required training by their assigned due date will be removed from protocol(s) by the Animal Care & Use Office and no longer able to work with laboratory animals.
Investigators will be notified of any laboratory personnel with incomplete training. To avoid unnecessary system-generated emails, please remove personnel who no longer work in your laboratory from your IACUC protocol.
If needed, steps to remove personnel via amendment are available
here
.
Self-help steps for using MLearning are also available
here
.
If you have any questions, or would like additional assistance, please contact the ULAM Training Core at (734) 763-8039 or
[email protected]
.
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Animal Research Spotlight
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It's a pretty obvious connection -- those who exercise more often are less susceptible to disease. But how exactly does a man's aerobic capacity affect his chances of suffering a spontaneous heart attack? And how does a woman's running ability impact her brain function?
U-M researchers have developed a unique rat model that provides scientists worldwide with a significant resource to study how exercise endurance capacity correlates with disease risks.
Read more
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For more information about the Animal Care & Use Program
at the University of Michigan,
CLICK HERE
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