- Date: 15 March, 13:00–14:00
- Location: Online, zoom
- Lecturer: Dr. Paul Bernard and Logan Bigelow, MSc, from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada
- Website
- Organiser: KI LAS Education and Training Unit
- Contact person: Head of Education, KI LAS Education and Training Unit
- Seminarium
Continuing professional development (CPD) webinar in laboratory animal science hosted by KI. Registration required.
Over the past couple of decades, there has been much concern over the control of environmental variables in rodent research. Besides the obvious welfare implications, there is concern that environmental variables may be a contributor to the replicability crisis. As a means of better understanding the contribution of environmental variables to experimental outcomes, we studied the impact of various environmental factors such as housing, handling, and acoustics on welfare outcomes. Measures included both classic tests of anxiety-like behavior as well as stress-related physiology in combination with novel measures such as intra-cage ultrasonic vocalizations. Both behavioral and physiological markers were affected by interventions, suggesting that environmental variables influence study outcomes. It is therefore critical that environmental parameters be considered in study design and post-study reporting.
Registere here, by March 14.