During this fiscal year, the intramural program of the NIAAA used mice, rats, zebrafish, and medaka. The majority of these animals were held in the Fishers Lane Animal Center at 5625 Fishers Lane in Rockville, Maryland with the remainder held in the Building 10/3C animal facility in the Ambulatory Care Research Facility and in a Shared Animal Facility on the NIH Bethesda campus. The NIAAA OLAS also provided support to two, one NIAAA DICBR and one NINDS, satellite holding facilities for the housing of zebrafish at 5625 Fishers Lane. Currently, OLAS supports 13 NIAAA Principal Investigators (PIs) conducting animal studies under 18 active Animal Study Proposals (ASPs) and one NINDS PI in support of one ASP. The NIAAA OLAS ensures that all animal use is performed humanely and in accordance with all relevant Animal Welfare Regulations. Through its commitment to excellence in veterinary health care, animal husbandry, research support, and program administration, the NIAAA OLAS has provided the facilitation necessary to the research missions of the NIAAA and the NINDS. The NIAAA continues to play a leading role in the NIH Intramural Animal Care and Use Program and as an active participant in the laboratory animal science community. The NIAAA DICBR, as part of the the NIH intramural research program, has maintained full accreditation by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International, an internationally recognized independent program, since 1991.
