The purpose of this proposal is to obtain cagewashing equipment and animal cages required to upgrade the animal Vivarium at the Barrow Neurological Institute. The Administration of the Institute and the Hospital with which it is associated, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, has recently committed $320,525 for the renovation of the existing Vivarium space and a significant expansion of the facility. However, the appropriate and optimal utilization of this upgraded physical facility also requires the acquisition of cages for animal housing to replace existing outdated cages and to provide new housing for the added space. In addition, the present cagewashing facility is very old and unreliable and therefore must be replaced. The Vivarium of the Barrow Neurological Institute continues to be an FDA and AAALAC approved facility. It is our intent to upgrade our present facility in a manner consistent with the guidelines of these agencies so that an excellent level of animal care can continue to be delivered in association with the recently expanded research and teaching programs of the Institute.
