The Cornell Center for Animal Resources and Education (CARE) Residency Program in Laboratory Animal Medicine trains graduate veterinarians for a career in laboratory animal medicine by providing the knowledge and experience necessary to achieve certification by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM). The objective of the program is to prepare veterinarians to excel in the field of Laboratory Animal Medicine and provide veterinary expertise to biomedical investigations. Residents are trained to perform collaborative research in a variety of fields, and assist in the development and maintenance of animal models in support of translational research activities. One of the greatest strengths of the program is the ability of the laboratory animal trainees to utilize all of the facilities of one of the country's preeminent veterinary schools while simultaneously having all of the research resources of a major research institution. With biomedical research priorities shifting from basic molecular and cellular research to translational research, the importance of animal models and, therefore, veterinarians skilled in comparative medicine has increased. Programs that attract and train graduate veterinarians in laboratory animal medicine are increasingly needed. We request funding for three trainees from this R25 application to enable us to expand Cornell's training program and emphasize the academic and biomedical research strengths of the program.
The One Medicine-One Health concept encourages partnerships between human and veterinary medicine, and veterinarians skilled in comparative medicine fill a critical and unique role in biomedical research. The R25 grant would allow Cornell to expand its program in Laboratory Animal Medicine to train more graduate veterinarians in this important field.
