Veterinarians In Research Labs Address Conflicting Agendas

The job is a juggling act, with administrative duties that sometimes lead to opposition from scientists. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST? John Vandenbergh contends the IACUC veterinarians should "be an integral part of the committee, but not as in a chair role. Research with laboratory animals involves a great deal more bureaucracy than it used to, and veterinarians frequently find themselves in the position of administrators of that bureaucracy. Under the 1985 revision to the Animal Welfare Act, every research institution that uses laboratory animals must establish an institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) to approve all proposed animal experiments. Each IACUC must include at least one veterinarian with special experience in laboratory animal medicine. These IACUC veterinarians have the power to approve, disapprove, or demand significant changes in experimental design and conduct if the methods violate any of the dozens of regulations designed to protect animal welfare. The job, by ...