This Diagnostic/Investigational Resource has three major objectives: 1) provide a rational basis for medical management of the laboratory animal resource; 2) identify and investigate diseases of potential biomedical significance; 3) provide educational opportunities for veterinary scientists. These objectives will be met by: 1) provision of competent diagnostic services to the laboratory animal resource; 2) investigation of significant diseases encountered in the diagnostic process; 3) making our resources, and tissue, data and photographic archives available to collaborators and for training prupoes. The Resource comprises necropsy, clinical pathology (hematology, clinical chemistry and bacteriology), and histology laboratories, and their archives, supported by comprehensive data management services. Provision will be made for diagnostic support of the laboratory animal colonies at the three major Wake Forest University sites, primarily by close interaction between the Resource personnel and clinical care staff. Proposed or ongoing investigations will study diseases and management of pigeons, perinatal mortality in nonhuman primates, fatal fasting syndrome in macaques, clinical chemical monitoring of myocardial disease in a squirrel monkey model of Chagas' disease, and macaque models of hypertension. Additional investigations will be sponsored as opportunity and funds permit. The educational component of the Resource includes close interaction with the institutional post-DVM training program in Laboratory Animal Medicine, provision of a training program for senior veterinary students at North Carolina State University School of Veterinary Medicine, a tissue request program, and collaboration with outside investigators within the University, across the state, and nationally.
