The IACUC Handbook

Jerald Silverman, DVM, is director of the Department of Animal Medicine and professor of pathology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is also an adjunct professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. He received his degrees in vertebrate zoology and veterinary medicine from Cornell University and has a master’s degree in nonprofit organization management from the New School for Social Research. Dr. Silverman is a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and past president of the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners. Mark Suckow, DVM, is assistant vice president for research at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana. He received his DVM from the University of Wisconsin in 1987, and completed a post-doctoral residency program in laboratory animal medicine at the University of Michigan in 1990. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. Dr. Suckow is active in professional organizations and has served as president of both the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) and the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners (ASLAP). He currently serves as a member of the AAALAC Council on Accreditation. Sreekant Murthy, PhD, is professor of medicine, adjunct professor of biomedical engineering, and senior associate vice provost for research compliance (retired) at Drexel University. He recently joined Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, as their chief research compliance officer. He earned his doctoral degree from Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, currently known as University of Sciences, Philadelphia. As a faculty member he simultaneously chaired two IACUCs in the same institution for five years. As the senior associate vice provost, he managed research compliance in human subject research, animal welfare, institutional biosafety committee, radiation safety, and research integrity. He has been the institutional official for the IACUC since 2006. At Rowan University, he continues to be responsible for all aspects of research compliance, research integrity, and export control.

Introduction. Origins of the IACUC. Circumstances Requiring an IACUC. Creation of an IACUC. Reporting Lines of the IACUC. General Composition of the IACUC and Specific Roles of the IACUC Members. Frequency and Conduct of Regular IACUC Meetings. General Format of IACUC Protocol Forms. Submission and Maintenance of IACUC Protocols. General Concepts of Protocol Review. Amending IACUC Protocols. Continuing Review of Protocols. Justification for the Use of Animals. Justification of the Number of Animals to Be Used. Animal Acquisition and Disposition. Animal Housing, Use Sites, and Transportation. Pain and Distress. Euthanasia. Surgery. Antigens, Antibodies, and Blood Collection. Occupational Health and Safety. Personnel Training. Confidential and Proprietary Information. General Concepts of the Program Review and Facility Inspection. Inspection of Animal Housing Areas. Inspection of Individual Laboratories. Inspection of Surgery Areas. Assessment of Veterinary Care. Laboratory Animal Enrichment. Animal Mistreatment and Protocol Noncompliance. Postapproval Monitoring. The European Ethical Review Framework: Collaborative Issues. Index.