About the ARP

Animal research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC), is registered as a research facility with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and has an Assurance of Compliance on file with the Public Health Service Office of Protection from Research Risks (OPRR).

The Animal Resources Program (ARP) is the service unit that provides care for all animals required in research and teaching programs at UAB and affiliated hospitals. Services provided by the ARP include

animal procurement
daily care
quarantine, testing, health surveillance, and veterinary medical care
provision of facilities and personnel for procedures such as surgery, radiography, postoperative care, necropsy, and diet preparation
assuring compliance with animal use laws and policies
assisting with research and teaching programs that use animals

ARP veterinarians have specialty training in laboratory animal medicine. In addition to their service responsibilities, some of our veterinarians hold faculty positions in the Department of Genetics.

The ARP operates under the administrative authority of the President of UAB and is directly managed by the Assistant Vice President for Animal Services and reports to the Vice President for Research and Economic Development. The ARP has an independent budget that is supported by a system of uniform charges to investigators.

The ARP oversees approximately 215,000 sq ft of space designated for use or care of laboratory animals. This space is distributed among 17 buildings on campus.

The UAB Diagnostic/Health Surveillance Laboratory, under the direction of Dr. Trenton Schoeb, offers health monitoring for rodents and other animals. The laboratory also provides diagnostic services in support of the ARP.

The Transgenic Animal/Embryonic Stem Cell (TA/ESC) Resource, under the direction of Dr. Robert Kesterson, is a centralized program that produces transgenic animal models for UAB investigators. The service includes production of mouse models using injection and embryonic stem cell methods.

Other Core facilities on campus offer services such as a monoclonal antibody production or maintenance of rodents needing special care.

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), under the direction of Dr. Gene Hines, reviews all proposals to use animals in research, testing, or teaching at UAB. No studies may be initiated prior to IACUC approval.