Use of nonhuman primates requires specialized training and experience on the part of veterinary and animal husbandry staff. Opportunities for individuals to acquire such skills are few and currently there is a shortage of qualified veterinarians to fill this important infrastructure role. While nonhuman primates are used in a variety of research objectives, recent initiatives in AIDS research and biodefense have increased the importance of their role in infectious disease programs. This veterinary residency program in laboratory primate medicine and surgery will be hosted by the New England Primate Research Center (NEPRC). The NEPRC is one of eight national primate research Centers with a mission to support Public Health Services funded research objectives. The NEPRC maintains a diverse primate population including large breeding colonies of rhesus macaques, common marmosets and cotton top tamarins. This environment will provide a unique opportunity for the candidate to gain specialized experience in primate medicine and husbandry, biocontainment and conducting clinical work for infectious disease programs in nonhuman primates. The training program will consist of a combination of clinical service, seminars and hands-on training in a number of important veterinary techniques and prepare residents for certification by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM). The candidate will rotate through the NEPRC clinical service where he/she will be paired with a senior veterinarian to gain experience in diagnosis, treatment, and management of colony animals. Upon completion of the program it is anticipated that the candidate will have gained experience in nonhuman primate clinical medicine and husbandry, satisfy residency requirements for the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and would have the skills to become a critical part of a research team utilizing nonhuman primates to achieve their research objectives.
| Smith, Kumari A; Pearson, Christine B; Hachey, Audra M et al. (2012) Alternative activation of macrophages in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with endometriosis. Comp Med 62:303-10 |
| Santos, Rosemary V; Lin, Kuei-Chin; Mansfield, Keith et al. (2011) Specific pathogen-free status alters immunophenotype in rhesus macaques: implications for the study of simian immunodeficiency virus. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 27:1033-42 |
