Jerald Silverman, DVM, is director of the Department of Animal Medicine and professor of pathology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is also an adjunct professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. He received his degrees in vertebrate zoology and veterinary medicine from Cornell University and has a master’s degree in nonprofit organization management from the New School for Social Research. Dr. Silverman is a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and past president of the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners. Mark Suckow, DVM, is assistant vice president for research at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana. He received his DVM from the University of Wisconsin in 1987, and completed a post-doctoral residency program in laboratory animal medicine at the University of Michigan in 1990. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. Dr. Suckow is active in professional organizations and has served as president of both the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) and the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners (ASLAP). He currently serves as a member of the AAALAC Council on Accreditation. Sreekant Murthy, PhD, is professor of medicine, adjunct professor of biomedical engineering, and senior associate vice provost for research compliance (retired) at Drexel University. He recently joined Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, as their chief research compliance officer. He earned his doctoral degree from Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, currently known as University of Sciences, Philadelphia. As a faculty member he simultaneously chaired two IACUCs in the same institution for five years. As the senior associate vice provost, he managed research compliance in human subject research, animal welfare, institutional biosafety committee, radiation safety, and research integrity. He has been the institutional official for the IACUC since 2006. At Rowan University, he continues to be responsible for all aspects of research compliance, research integrity, and export control.
This handbook provides a comprehensive collection of best practices; all of which are compliant with the federal guidelines and requirements. The sections labeled regulatory have been reviewed by staff at NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) and USDA APHIS/Animal Care (AC) for consistency and compliance with the PHS Policy and the USDA Animal Welfare Act Regulations (AWAR). The best practices presented were developed by conscientious IACUCs and research teams from academia, industry, the private and public sectors, and institutions of various sizes. Answers to a series of operational, policy, and management questions are first addressed from the perspective of the applicable regulatory language, followed by opinions from knowledgeable and experienced professionals in the field, and in some cases ultimately followed by responses to informal surveys on selected institutional policies and practices. Every effort has been made to apply correct interpretations within the context of the specific issues being discussed. ... For the experienced reader and novice alike, this book provides a wealth of useful information and insight into the collective experience and wisdom of the numerous expert editors and authors. Both NIH/OLAW and APHIS/AC commend the authors and editors for their outstanding efforts and for moving the biomedical research community forward in its formulation of best practices and commonly accepted professional guidance in this complex arena. -From the Introduction by Dr. Patricia A. Brown, Director of the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare Dr. Chester A. Gipson, Deputy Administrator USDA/APHIS/Animal Care The IACUC Handbook is an interesting interactive handbook with a unique fonnat that introduces a complex subject of rules, policy, and guidelines for an animal care program and the committee given the task of oversight of that program and offers interpretation into those guidelines ... easy to read, complete with a multitude of reference material ... useful to any new IACUC members or members of IACUC who have additional questions regarding policies and regulations concerning animal programs at their or other institutions. -Sandra L. Jex, DVM, ALN Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 4, May/June 2007 ... Those who are new to IACUCs as well as seasoned committee members and administrators will find a wealth of information on the regulatory aspects that govern committee function and animal health. This book remains a valuable source of practical information issues facing IACUCs, and I highly recommend it for the libraries of all those who are part of an IACUC or contribute to IACUC support. -Rebecca S. Schwiebert, D.V.M., Ph.D, C.A.C.L.A.M., American Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Vol. 69, No. 1