This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The Division of Animal Services has undergone a major reorganization since a new Attending Veterinarian and Associate Director of Animal Services began on March 1, 2005. These changes include the creation of a new unit (Compliance and Training); the reorganization of the Colony Management unit; and the addition of several new key personnel. Currently, the division is responsible for the following duties: 1. Provision of veterinary care for the nonhuman primate colony. 2. Provision of animal husbandry for the nonhuman primate colony. 3. Provision of research support for the principal investigators performing animal research at the WNPRC. 4. Oversight of all regulatory compliance. 5. Training of all employees who may come in contact with live nonhuman primates or nonhuman primate tissues. The Associate Director has formalized the regulatory component of Animal Services by hiring an experienced Compliance Coordinator and teaming her with the Animal Services Training Coordinator to ensure that the facilities, protocols, and personnel of the WNPRC are in compliance with all institutional, local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and guidelines. Veterinary Services Unit The Veterinary Services Unit is principally responsible for providing veterinary care to the nonhuman primate colonies of the WNPRC and for providing research support for the investigators who utilize the animals housed at the Center. Due to the continuing growth of the colony and the rapid growth in demand for research support, the unit hired two additional veterinary technicians and an additional surgery technician in 2005. Currently, four full- time veterinarians, four full-time veterinary technicians, one full-time surgery technician, and one part-time surgery technician staff the unit. The unit s animal health program consists of a rigorous program of preventative medicine (e.g., quarantine, semi-annual tuberculin skin testing, routine physical exams, timely dental prophylaxis, periodic viral survey), extensive diagnostic capabilities, and excellent clinical care. Colony Management Unit This pivotal unit of Animal Services is responsible for an array of tasks including animal husbandry, the colony records system, and environmental enrichment. Under the leadership of the Associate Director of Animal Services, this unit has undergone extensive reorganization. To standardize the provision of animal care, the two-colony manager system was eliminated and one colony manager now oversees the entire unit. After an extensive national search, a candidate with extensive experience in nonhuman primate colony management was offered the Colony Manager position and is expected to begin employment at the WNPRC on April 15, 2006. Additionally, two new animal care supervisors with extensive nonhuman primate experience have been added to the unit to help oversee the 24 animal research technicians who provide daily husbandry for the nonhuman primate colony. In addition to performing all daily husbandry duties, the animal research technicians also check the health of each individual member of the nonhuman primate colony on a daily basis, report all evidence of morbidity to the veterinary staff, assist with the implementation of the environmental enrichment program, and provide research support (e.g., sample collection, data collection, medication administration, etc.) to the scientists performing research at the Center. Colony Records One full-time and one part-time assistant staff this subunit of Colony Management. The subunit is responsible for maintaining and updating all data on clinical procedures, animal location transfers, treatments, research procedures, surgical procedures, sample collections, and observations. The subunit is appropriately situated in the Colony Management unit to foster frequent communication among personnel performing the work being documented. The unit works closely with the Information Services Division of the WNPRC to continuously improve the Internet-based version of the Colony Records Database to facilitate and simplify the data entry and retrieval process. Environmental Enrichment Under this Colony Management subunit s coordinator, the environmental enrichment program of the WNPRC is vibrant and growing. Currently the program utilizes social companionship, manipulanda, structural enrichment, edible enrichment, and positive human-nonhuman primate interaction to improve the psychological well being of the nonhuman primate colony. The enrichment program also focuses increased effort on improving the well being of those colony members that exhibit stereotypical or self-injurious behavior. Over the last year, the coordinator of the subunit has hired an assistant and a part-time student to facilitate implementation of the more rigorous components of the enrichment program. Compliance and Training This unit was established in 2005 to unify the compliance and training initiatives of the WNPRC. The compliance arm of this unit is led by the newly hired compliance coordinator and the training arm is led by the new training coordinator who work to ensure that the facilities, personnel, and IACUC protocols of the WNPRC comply with all institutional, local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and guidelines pertaining to animal research. The Compliance and Training unit serves as a resource for any/all WNPRC personnel working with nonhuman primates to provide a safe work environment for the humans and animals through detailed education and intense hands-on experience.
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