News from AAALAC
Mark your calendars for these 2009 AAALAC International events!
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WEBINAR: February 11, 2009, 2:00 pm (EST Eastern)
Register now for theAAALAC online webinar:
"Writing an Effective
Post Site Visit Communication"
For details and to register now: http://www.aaalac-outreach.org
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CONFERENCE: March 29, 2009, San Diego, CA (before the PRIM&R meeting)
"The 2009 AAALAC International Conference
on Quality Animal Care"
REGISTER NOW via the PRIM&R web site!
Save the date and join AAALAC International for a day of presentations and discussions that will help you:
- Understand current trends and AAALAC International expectations for quality research animal care and use.
- Appreciate the most frequently observed concerns reported by AAALAC site visitors over the last five years.
- Learn of potential solutions and successful case studies.
Case studies and outcomes will be included with each topic presented, and Q&A sessions will be interspersed throughout the day. AAALAC International Council on Accreditation members will also be available all day to answer your specific questions privately, one-on-one. This conference is held only once every 4-5 years, so be sure to save the date. (Online registration will open on the PRIM&R starting January 2, 2009.)
Send us an e-mail if you would like to be added to the conference mailing list.
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CONFERENCE: May 4, 2009, Rome, Italy
"AAALAC International in Europe"
Save the date and join us for this conference that will explain the process of earning AAALAC International accreditation and how it can benefit European animal care and use programs. The conference will also discuss trends in animal care and use as noted during AAALAC International site visits throughout Europe. Special attention will be paid to the Ethical Review Process and the European Commission is expected to participate in this meeting. Registration details will be posted in the weeks ahead. Send us an e-mail if you would like to be added to the European conference mailing list.
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 Ken Pyle is named the 2009 U.S. recipient of the AAALAC International Technician Fellowship Award
Ken Pyle, RLATG, has been named the 2009 U.S. recipient of the AAALAC International Technician Fellowship Award. Pyle has served as Associate Professor of Veterinary Science Technology at State University of New York (SUNY) College of Technology in Delhi, New York, since 1992. He currently teaches courses in research animal technology, applied research animal techniques, breeding colony management and courses related to primatology. Pyle has been teaching since 1975 and has received numerous national awards including the AALAS Garvey and Collins Awards. He is a long-time, active AALAS member and has served on a variety of committees and in various leadership positions since joining National AALAS in 1973. Pyle earned degrees in veterinary technology and biology from SUNY and Farleigh Dickinson University (respectively). Click here for more information on the AAALAC International Technician Fellowship Award.
 John G. Miller receives
AAALAC International’s Bennett J. Cohen Award
AAALAC International presented its Bennett J. Cohen Award to John G. Miller, D.V.M., at the annual meeting of AAALAC’s Board of Trustees.
The Bennett J. Cohen Award recognizes outstanding individuals who have provided exceptional service and significant contributions to AAALAC International, and have demonstrated a strong and abiding commitment to advancing science through the promotion of the highest standards of laboratory animal care in research, testing, and education.
Dr. Miller served as AAALAC International’s Executive Director for 12 years. When he joined AAALAC in 1996, the association’s accreditation program was largely U.S. based and Dr. Miller was tasked with expanding AAALAC’s accreditation program to organizations around the world. During his 12-year tenure, he was instrumental in the association’s international growth. At the start of his tenure only a handful of institutions outside of the United States participated in the AAALAC accreditation program. Today more than 770 institutions in 29 countries have earned AAALAC accreditation, and AAALAC accreditation is now viewed as an international benchmark for high-quality laboratory animal care and research.
Dr. Miller, a veterinarian who earned his degree from The Ohio State University, has spent much of his professional life ensuring the well-being of research animals. He joined AAALAC as its executive director after retiring from the U.S. Public Health Service where he served as the Deputy Director of the National Institutes of Health’s Office for Protection from Research Risks (OPRR). Dr. Miller was named OPRR’s first Director of the Division of Animal Welfare (now known as the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare). Prior to that he served in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps for more than 16 years, directing programs of animal care and use at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
Along with expanding the reach of AAALAC’s accreditation program, Dr. Miller introduced new AAALAC assessment and education programs. He also moved the association’s main headquarters to Frederick, Md., and established branch offices in Europe and the Pacific Rim.
Dr. Miller lives in Frederick, Maryland, with his wife Maria. He has served on the Boards of the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research, the National Association for Biomedical Research, and Americans for Medical Progress. Dr. Miller is a member of the veterinary honor society Phi Zeta, and a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.
It is with heartfelt appreciation that the staff, Board of Trustees and Council on Accreditation congratulate Dr. Miller and thank him for his years of exceptional service and outstanding leadership.
AAALAC International’s Pacific Rim office in Waikoloa, Hawaii, closed as of August 1, 2008;
Pacific Rim regional offices to open in the months ahead
AAALAC International will close its Pacific Rim office located in Waikoloa, Hawaii, on August 1, 2008. Due to the growing interest in AAALAC’s programs from organizations throughout the Pacific Rim region, AAALAC plans to open regional offices in order to expand services to those areas. Each regional office will be headed by a regional director. Currently, plans for a regional office in Southeast Asia and a regional office serving Japan and Korea are underway. These offices are expected to open in the months ahead.
In the meantime, all Pacific Rim inquiries can be directed to AAALAC’s headquarter office in Frederick, Maryland, U.S.A. The current director of Pacific Rim Activities, Dr. Kathryn Bayne, will relocate to this office next month where she will continue to serve as the point of contact for Pacific Rim applicants and accredited organizations until the new regional directors are named. During this interim phase, Pacific Rim contact information will be:
AAALAC International
5283 Corporate Drive, Suite 203
Frederick, MD 21703 USA
Tel: +301-696-9626
Fax: +301-696-9627
pacificrim@aaalac.org
or kbayne@aaalac.org
Kathryn A. Bayne, M.S., Ph.D., D.V.M., DACLAM, CAAB,
is named Global Director of AAALAC International
Dr. Kathryn A. Bayne, AAALAC International’s Senior Director and Director of Pacific Rim Activities, has been named Global Director. In this position she is responsible for representing the Association and promoting the Association’s mission globally as well as overseeing AAALAC’s worldwide accreditation program.
Dr. Bayne has been with AAALAC since 1994, overseeing all aspects of AAALAC International’s accreditation program and the operation of its Council on Accreditation. Prior to joining AAALAC, Dr. Bayne worked at the National Institutes of Health leading a research program on nonhuman primate psychological well-being and environmental enrichment programs for primates, dogs, cats and swine. She is a past president of ACLAM and currently serves as Vice-Chair of IACLAM. Dr. Bayne served on the National Academy of Sciences’ committee to revise the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (1996), the primary resource used by AAALAC Council members to evaluate programs.
Dr. Bayne will continue to serve as the main point of contact for the Pacific Rim until new regional directors are announced. She can be reached at kbayne@aaalac.org.
 AAALAC welcomes Christian E. Newcomer, Executive Director
AAALAC International welcomes Christian E. Newcomer, V.M.D., Dip ACLAM, as its new Executive Director. In this position, Dr. Newcomer will serve as the Chief Executive Officer of AAALAC International, headquartered in Frederick, Maryland. He will oversee the administration of AAALAC’s three offices; supervise fiscal and personnel management for the association; provide oversight of AAALAC’s Accreditation, Program Status Evaluation and Education & Outreach programs; and serve as AAALAC International’s spokesperson.
Dr. Newcomer began his duties on June 1. He succeeds Dr. John G. Miller who is retiring June 30 after serving as AAALAC’s Executive Director since 1996.
“Dr. Newcomer is an outstanding choice for the position of Executive Director,” said Harry Rozmiarek, D.V.M., Ph.D., Chair of the AAALAC International Board of Trustees. “His extensive background in laboratory animal medicine, his years of experience serving as a member and officer of AAALAC’s Council on Accreditation, and his superior leadership and communication skills make him an ideal selection. AAALAC’s future will be in good hands under his leadership.”
Dr. Newcomer was the Associate Provost for Animal Research and Resources
and Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University. He has also served as Director of the Veterinary Resources Program for the Office of Research Services/OD at the National Institutes of Health, and as Director of the Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine for The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Newcomer served for eight years as a member of AAALAC International’s Council on Accreditation (1990-1998), where he was recognized by his Council peers through election as Vice President for the final two years of his term. He is the current president of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) and is a past president of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM). Dr Newcomer earned a B.S. in zoology and M.S. in pathology from the University of Michigan, and a V.M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He has been an ACLAM Diplomate since 1982.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Newcomer!
AAALAC International elects new Council officers
John Bradfield President
Dorcas O’Rourke Vice President
Peter Clausing Section Leader (European Section)
Barbara Garibaldi Section Leader
Bill King Section Leader
Bryan Howard Assistant Section Leader (European Section)
Bill Dale Assistant Section Leader
Andrew Grady Assistant Section Leader
John Norton Assistant Section Leader
AAALAC International appoints Javier Guillen
Senior Director and Director of European Activities;
AAALAC opens new European office in Pamplona, Spain
AAALAC International has appointed Javier Guillen, D.V.M., Senior Director and Director of European Activities. In this position, Dr. Guillen will direct AAALAC’s programs and services throughout Europe, as well as manage the operation of the European Section of AAALAC’s Council on Accreditation. Dr. Guillen began his duties on February 1, and is based in AAALAC International’s new European office located in Pamplona, Spain.
“Dr. Guillen brings outstanding experience to the position of Senior Director and Director of European Activities,” said John G. Miller, D.V.M., Executive Director of AAALAC International. “We are very pleased to have someone with his background and expertise who can provide service to European institutions that are interested in earning AAALAC International accreditation. His experience serving on AAALAC’s Council on Accreditation, along with his extensive background in laboratory animal medicine, make him an ideal selection for this position.”
Prior to joining AAALAC International, Dr. Guillen was the Director of the Animal Service Unit for the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, where he also served for eight years as Secretary for the University’s Ethical Committee for Animal Care. Dr. Guillen has also served as a member of AAALAC’s Council on Accreditation since 2003. Dr. Guillen is active in a number of professional associations including FELASA (the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations). He served as FELASA’s Secretary from 2002 to 2007, and is currently serving as President Elect. Dr. Guillen also served on the Board of Management for SECAL (the Sociedad Española para las Ciencias del Animal de Laboratorio) and is a member of AALAS (the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science), APE (the Association Primatológica Española), and ESLAV (the European Society of Laboratory Animal Veterinarians). He has published dozens of scientific articles in publications including the European Journal of Pharmacology, the Annals of Neurology, the European Journal of Neuroscience, Brain, and Neurology.
Dr. Guillen’s contact information is:
Javier Guillen, DVM Senior Director and Director of European Activities
AAALAC International
Apartado de Correos 266 31080 Pamplona (Spain)
phone: +34 948 100026 fax: +34 948 100034
email: jguillen@aaalac.org
ContractPharma article discusses the value of AAALAC International accreditation
In an article on preclinical outsourcing, ContractPharma contributing editor Steve Snyder discusses the value of AAALAC International accreditation. A full copy of the article can be downloaded here (pdf format).
For more information on any of these news items, e-mail accredit@aaalac.org.
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