? This proposal requests $1.5 million in matching funds for the third and final renovation phase of the Volker Hall (VH) animal facility at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). VH is the largest research and education building at UAB. The 35,438 nasf assigned to the Animal Resources Program in the basement of VH is the largest of the current UAB animal facilities. Despite the ongoing renovation, it provides housing/support services for about 25% of the animal population at UAB, representing 14 species including rodents, dogs, farm animals, and nonhuman primates. This application proposes to renovate 9,800 gsf of space to increase small animal housing space; create space that better meets current and future research needs; provide housing and procedure space and appropriate equipment to prevent animal and personnel exposure to potential pathogens; provide an area for animal species or studies that require nonstandard environmental conditions; provide additional cage sanitation equipment; and provide support space for animal facility staff. UAB is committed to the prevention and treatment of diseases as prioritized in the """"""""Healthy People 2010"""""""" directive. The investigators at UAB who will directly benefit from this proposal have more than $28 million annual federal funding that supports diverse research interests with translational applicability to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, trauma, vaccine development and delivery, and vision. The proposed renovations will thus provide state-of-the-art animal facilities to support federally funded research in areas emerging as high priorities for new therapeutic strategies and health maintenance. ? ?
