The Animal Facility is actually an animal care program, consisting of staff, services and facilities dedicated to meeting the animal-dependent needs of the research programs of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. The goal of the Facility is to provide expertise, advice, facilities, and personnel as well as training and assistance, whenever cancer-related investigations require the use of animal models. A new facility, of approximately 12, 000 net sq. ft., in the Hillman Cancer Center, was validated and opened in October of 2002, to add to the approximately 850 net sq. ft. facility located within the Shadyside Urolical Surgical Resource(SUSR) facility on the ground floor of UPMC Shadyside Hospital. These facilities are designed, managed and dedicated to maintaining specific pathogen-free (SPF) rodent populations, using barrier and microisolator caging techniques. This core is an integral component of the University's overall Animal Care Program, that is overseen by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. This program is registered with the USDA (23-R0016) and maintains a letter of assurance with the Public Health Service of the NIH (A3187-01). It is fully accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC Int.). Notice of last full accreditation status was received in March of 2003.
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