? The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is an institution of emerging excellence, in part as the result of having successfully competed for 3 Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) awards through NCRR. OUHSC is also recognized as a PHS Native American Center of Excellence (COE) (D34 MB03011-11). This application is the second phase of a strategic plan endorsed by the OUHSC Baboon Research Resource Advisory Committee. Our mission is to provide baboon resources for biomedical and behavioral research requiting the baboon as the animal model. We support research investigators at the OUHSC and serve as a national resource by supporting numerous investigators located across the United States. This resource enables NIH funded investigators to obtain baboons for their research programs, subcontract with the Baboon Resource to conduct the study on location at the ? OUHSC or lease the baboons for conducting their studies then returning the baboons to the breeding colony. Together with the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Center for ? Health Sciences, and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, we continue to develop and improve the baboon as an animal model. We request funds for construction of additional baboon facilities to permit expansion of the OUHSC Baboon Breeding Program supported by NIH, NCRR, P-40 and R-24 Grants. We are starting our 06-year with the baboon breeding and research program and year 02 with the SPF program and we desperately need to enlarge our physical facilities to accommodate the successful growth of our baboon program. ? ?
