Overseeing Research to Ensure Animal Safety

Despite his busy schedule as a basic science researcher and chair of the Division of Biosciences in the College of Dentistry, Peter Reiser, MS, PhD, has for several years extended his service to the university community by helping to ensure animal safety in the research conducted at Ohio State’s Columbus and branch campuses.
Dr. Peter Reiser

Dr. Reiser is chair of the university’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), a team of faculty members from colleges throughout the university who review grant applications from university researchers requesting to use animals in their work. Researchers submit their grant applications to the committee with details that describe all aspects of their work involving live animals.

“The scope of research involving vertebrate animals that is being conducted on Ohio State campuses across the state is nothing short of amazing,” —​ Peter Reiser , MS, PhD

 

“The scope of research involving vertebrate animals that is being conducted on Ohio State campuses across the state is nothing short of amazing,” Dr. Reiser said. “Some faculty are studying fundamental biological and ecological phenomena, while others are working at the cutting edge of translational research, pursuing therapies for diseases that are difficult to treat. All of this is incredibly important to understand the world around us and to be able to propel health care forward. The role of the IACUC is to support the research enterprise and to maintain critical standards for animal safety and welfare.”

Once a grant application is submitted, a team of veterinarians reviews the application and inserts comments and questions for the principal investigator (PI). The PI responds to these, then resubmits the application to the committee. Depending on the nature of the protocol, Dr. Reiser will either send the application to a committee member to review, or he assigns it to two members for review and for consideration by the full committee. Protocols that involve the animals’ discomfort, for example, are examined by the full committee, as are any that involve primates.

University-wide, there are 385 PIs and an additional 2,000 employees with responsibilities in vertebrate animal research and care who are included in a total of 700 approved protocols. Each protocol lasts for three years, but if any aspect of the research process changes, the PI must apply for an amendment to the original protocol.

After the approval process, the committee’s work continues, ensuring that PIs and their teams are abiding by their approved protocols. A group of veterinarians visits each animal facility on a daily basis, and reports their findings, if any, to the committee.

In addition to their responsibilities as faculty members, the IACUC committee members must make considerable efforts to stay abreast of the federal regulations related to animal research. But for Dr. Reiser, it’s a fulfilling role. “I get to understand the research that’s being done in other areas on campus. The welfare of animals in my research has been improved, and it’s broadened my perspective.” He added, “It’s a lot of work, but the benefits are worth it.”

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