CRI-LAC Organization Chart CRI Organization Chart

Previous Next The animal facility is located at the Chulabhorn Research Institute. The facility is housed in one separate 5-storey building that is connected to the Biomedical Research Building on the Mezzanine and 2nd floors at the ends of 2 wings. The total area is approximately 2,660 square meters. The animal facility is a clean conventional facility. There are separate corridors designated as clean or dirty, and a 1-way workflow through the animal rooms. The ground floor is an open lobby external to the building. The Mezzanine floor is a support area for the building that contains the cage wash area, feed and bedding storage areas, drinking water preparation area, animal receiving room, and laundry area. It also houses the air handling units that serve the Mezzanine floor. The second floor is for general animal research. The third floor is non- clinical GLP study facility. The fourth floor is for inhalation toxicology. The fifth floor houses the air handling units that serve the second, third and fourth floors. Access to the building is restricted to only those who are conducting work in the LAC, which includes LAC personnel, researchers and maintenance personnel.

The CRI Laboratory Animal Center (LAC) has primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the research animal facility, as well as for implementation of CRI’s ACUP. It is headed by the Director of LAC, a qualified veterinarian with a wealth of experience in care and management of laboratory animal breeding and laboratory animal medicine, and staffed with full-time attending veterinarian, clinical veterinarian, facility engineer, animal technician and animal care workers, all of whom have been appropriately trained in their areas of responsibility and who undergo continual training as necessary according to CRI policy. MISSION Laboratory animal management and husbandry Veterinary preventive medicine and medical care Consultation pertaining to animal care and use, as well as veterinary medical issues in animal use protocol development Support for compliance with animal use protocols carried out in its facilities Training in the care and use of laboratory animals Reporting of requirements to the Institute Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

Previous image Next image CRI’s Institute Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is the oversight body for monitoring and enforcing all animal care and use activities in accordance with CRI’s Animal Care and Use Program (ACUP), policies and standard operating procedures, as well as principles and guidelines in Animals for Scientific Purposes Act, Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, 8th ed. (US National Research Council) and the Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (National Research Council of Thailand). The committee comprises CRI animal researchers, non-laboratory animal researchers, veterinarians, statistician, non-scientists and non-affiliated. New IACUC members must attend a minimum of at least one IACUC training program. All IACUC members are encouraged to attend the aforementioned training once every two years thereafter. Continued IACUC training/updating, in the form of relevant articles and discussions, is conducted during IACUC meetings. The Role of the IACUC include reviews the animal care and use program and conducts animal facility inspections, review animal use protocols and significant changes to the use of animals in ongoing activities, monitor post approval animal protocols and prepare reports to the IO of the IACUC evaluations and recommendations.The IACUC generally meets once a month but no less than once every 6 months. The...

Previous Next The objective of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Program is to outline the process for identifying health and safety concerns, towards the reduction of the occurrence of occupational incidents, injuries, and illnesses, and to promote employee health and well-being. All LAC personnel, animal researchers, visitors and maintenance personnel who will conduct any kinds of working in the animal facility must be enrolled in the OHS program. They are requested to submit a completed OHS survey form to the OHS office. The OHS Committee will then prepare a risk management worksheet customized to the personnel based on the information submitted. Some personnel may be required to receive certain vaccines as protection against infectious disease or suggested to use specialized PPE if allergy or any health problem arises. The OHS Committee reviews and consults all animal use protocols for identification of potential chemical and biological hazards parallel to review by the IACUC. The committee reviews and discusses safety matters involving the use of chemical, biohazardous and radiological agents or materials in animal protocols to ensure the investigator has appropriately planned to reduce or eliminate the exposure to potentially hazardous agents. The Occupational Health and Safety Committee conducts safety inspections of the LAC, including practices and techniques, safety equipment, facility engineering, facility activities and agents used. , usually at the...

The IACUC must review all proposed animal use protocols before any animal research can be performed within the CRI research and animal facilities. In reviewing the protocol, the IACUC will consider whether the protocol contains all required management and regulatory elements as defined by the Animal Use Policy and Laboratory Animal Program Description. The IACUC will determine if the proposal contains the following information: a justification of why the treatment/condition is scientifically necessary; a statement demonstrating that the PI performed a thorough search of alternatives to the potentially painful procedures; and standards and practices for pain management, adjuvant use, humane end-point determination, etc. At the same time, the OHS Committee will review and discuss safety matters involving the use of chemical, biohazardous and/or radiological agents or materials in animal protocols to ensure the investigator has appropriately planned to reduce or eliminate the exposure to potentially hazardous agents. After determination by the IACUC that the animal use protocol is complete, the protocol is recommended to the IO (or Vice-President for Research and Academic Affairs in the case that the IO is part of the research team on the protocol) for final approval. After official approval, the IACUC Chair will inform the PI that the study may begin. Links 1. LAC-IACUC Form 500 PROTOCOL COVER SHEET2. LAC-IACUC Form 501 IACUC memorandum to...

Proposed modifications to an approved protocol must be reviewed by the IACUC, and receive final approval from the IO (or Vice-president for Research and Academic Affairs in the case that the IO is part of the research team on the protocol) prior to start of the requested study. Modifications to animal protocols may be classified as minor or major. Minor modifications may include changing doses or routes of administration of a drug, and recording or measuring additional variables in the whole animals that are no more invasive than procedures currently approved under the protocol, and that do not increase the pain category of the protocol. Major modifications are those that require a change in the scientific direction of a protocol, e.g. requiring a greater than 10% increase in the number of test animals, changes in the species of the animals approved on the original protocol, changes in pain severity rating, increases in biohazard level on the protocol, and the addition of multiple minor modifications, or a change in the PI. A new PI for a previously approved and active protocol must submit a training statement with his/her request and a signed assurance statement. The process for reviewing/approving protocol amendments is the same as for reviewing a new protocol. Links 1. LAC-IACUC Form 500 PROTOCOL COVER SHEET2....

Annual review and approval by the CRI-IACUC is required for each protocol to remain active through the approved period (3 years). Annual reviews are generally due at the end of each year and cover the previous fiscal year. Amendments should be incorporated into the body of the text and required literature searches must be updated by the Principle Investigator (PI) via an Annual Review of Animal Protocol (IACUC form 505) submitted to the IACUC Administrator for IACUC review and approval. If animal work is to continue on a protocol after the three-year period, the protocol is required to be rewritten completely and all information updated prior to a full IACUC review. In addition, post approval monitoring (PAM) is randomly conducted by means of: a) Additional reviews conducted as appropriate if and deviations or violations are detected/reported. b) Routine observation of animals by animal care personnel. c) Veterinary care or observation by the Attending Veterinarian.

CRI is committed to the humane care and use of all research animals at the institute. It is the responsibility of each and every employee to report all observed cases or evidence of animal abuse or negligence immediately. The mechanisms for reporting concerns are posted in public areas, e.g. the daily sign in area for employees. M floor of LAC Building Entrance 2nd floor of LAC Building Entrance LAC Office at M floor of Biomedical Science Building G floor of Biomedical Science Building Entrance E-mail: [email protected] or Contact The methods for reporting and investigating animal welfare concerns are as follow: Reports can be made without fear of retaliation. The reporting individual can submit anonymously via Written Reports of animal welfare concerns (include a description of the animal health concern, the location and species involved, names of any parties involved or witnessing the activity in question, and protocol numbers or other pertinent information) can be e-mailed or delivered directly to the following persons from the post Verbal Reports of animal welfare concerns can be given to the same individuals listed from the post, and should include the descriptions listed as report by writing The IACUC chair will bring the issue to the IACUC. The results of all completed investigations will be reviewed by the IACUC All...