The Registry of Comparative Pathology (RCP) serves as a center for the study of pathologic processes from a comparative pathology point of view. It is a national resource for the facilitation of education and research involving spontaneous and experimentally induced animal disease, especially as these may serve as models for the study of their human counterparts. The RCP utilizes a number of activities and approaches that have proven to be highly effective in disseminating information, encouraging exchange of ideas, and promoting activity in the field. These include the publication of the quarterly Comparative Pathology Bulletin, a description of animal models of human disease in the monthly American Journal of Pathology, the annual Laboratory Animal Science, articles on original observations and data of comparative pathology significance in scientific publications: organization of symposia and workshops on specific aspects of comparative pathology; preparation of loan study sets; the directories, """"""""Educational Opportunities in Comparative Pathology"""""""" and """"""""Resources of Biomedical and Zoological Specimens"""""""".; preparation of scientific exhibits on comparative pathology: participation at scientific meetings; consultation on diagnostic problems; encouraging preservation of exotic animal species; stimulation of the study of diseases in wild free-living species; and the maintenance of a reference resource of animal models and comparative pathology. A new initiative will be undertaken to enhance recruitment into comparative pathology. The """"""""Outreach Program in Comparative Pathology"""""""" is intended to introduce undergraduates in veterinary and medical schools to the exciting field of comparative pathology and to learn about the many career opportunities that are available in the area of pathology. Two symposia, """"""""Engineering Transgenic Animal Models for Use in Biomedical Research"""""""" and """"""""Comparative Pathology of AIDS"""""""" will emphasize recent developments in these areas of research.
