Under the leadership of Peter Mohler, vice president for research, the Animal Care and Use Program (ACUP) launched in spring 2022. ACUP is responsible for all animals used in research, teaching and testing in the agricultural and biomedical programs at the university.
Valerie Bergdall, senior director of the Animal Care and Use Program, is leading the program.
Peter Mohler, vice president for research, shared, “Ohio State has an incredible team of faculty and staff focused on translational research and education. This organizational shift will increase operational efficiencies to support both the staff as well as our faculty research teams.”
Program Areas
- Office of the Attending Veterinarian (OAV)
- Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Support Office
- University Laboratory Animal Resources (ULAR)
“Consolidating the animal research and teaching program makes it easier for our users to access the support they need by providing one point of access for animal care and use. I look forward to helping streamline our processes and continually improve the overall animal program to benefit our research community and animals,” shared Bergdall.
The areas oversee the following activities:
- Office of the Attending Veterinarian - The office provides consultation for activities utilizing animals at the university including problems with animal studies, experimental design, training on animal use techniques, development of new animal models and techniques, and facilitating compliance with regulatory requirements. OAV supports an American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) accredited residency training program with a specialty in laboratory animal medicine.
- Administrative Support for Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee - Meeting administration, e-Protocol processing, and post-approval monitoring is provided to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
- University Laboratory Animal Resources - University Laboratory Animal Resources provides daily animal care services in support of biomedical research and teaching. ULAR maintains a dedicated surgical suite in support of animal research. The Experimental Surgery Suite Core houses four fully-equipped operating rooms and is staffed by full-time veterinary technicians. In addition, ULAR staff facilitate compliance with federal regulations and guidelines related to animal care.