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ANNUAL REPORT 2000

ANNUAL MEETING

Interactive IACUC Workshops
To some in the biomedical research field, animal caretakers are the guardians of animal welfare, the first line of defense. Right behind them is the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, or IACUC. This day of workshops was for the veterinarians and IACUC members charged with oversight responsibilities for animals used in research, but it also provided a learning opportunity for MISMR members not familiar with the research environment and its animal care and use issues.

The IACUC, as the primary regulating body in the research facility, bears a tremendous responsibility. Its very existence was born of the need to ensure the humane and ethical treatment of research animals. It is that place to which the public and government bodies turn for information regarding research practices. As such, it must retain accurate and timely documentation and provide it on demand. It has to concern itself with security issues, taking precautions against destructive animal rights activities. The IACUC's biggest job is the review of animal use protocols, covering such topics as the merit of a particular research protocol, the procedures to be used in that research, the levels of pain, discomfort, or distress related to the research, and euthanasia. As a regulatory body, its scope is broad and comprehensive.

To round out this day of workshops, other topics discussed included investigator noncompliance, pain and distress management in research animals, and Internet resources for IACUC members. James R. Gavin, III, M.D., Ph.D., who is currently Senior Scientific Officer of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute provided the keynote address. In his address Dr. Gavin created a vision of science capable of integrating molecular and structural biology with imaging technologies to understand the functions of organs and organisms. "We are poised to begin an assault on even these complex human diseases that clearly involve many genes and multiple organ systems—diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and behavioral disorders." Tempering the excitement of such a vision is the reality that this new frontier also demands a new kind of researcher, one with the training to interpret what is unfolding with each new gene mapped and place it in a clinical context. It will also call for more and better scientific and analytical methods using human and whole animal models.

"Long standing mysteries and paradoxes in human health and disease are now subject to explanation and understanding."
— James R. Gavin, III

Bennett J. Cohen Awardees
Each year MISMR seeks to recognize individuals who are advancing medical research in our State. This year the MISMR Board of Directors honored Jay and Betty Van Andel with the Bennett J. Cohen Educational Leadership Award for their leadership and vision in establishing the Van Andel Institute for Medical Research and Education. Our Board believes this new Institute with its potential for collaboration and support for basic science, will stimulate development of products and applications, and further our State's economic growth and development. David L. Van Andel, the couple's son, attended the annual meeting and accepted the award on their behalf.

"I can think of no better way to touch the lives of people than to support medical research that extends human life and reduces pain and suffering, God helping us."
— Jay Van Andel

Board Achievement Award
The MISMR board awarded long standing board member Daniel H. Ringler, D.V.M., for his outstanding contributions and service towards promoting the goals of MISMR. Dan noted that we have made tremendous progress in animal research over the past 30 years.

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