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Spring Issue 2008
Other Societies' News of Note
This section features information from the societies of which SOT is a member.
AAALAC Announces Newcomer to Serve as Executive Director
Submitted by: Loren D. Koller, D.V.M., Ph.D., SOT Representative AAALAC Board of Trustees
AAALAC International, the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, has appointed Christian E. Newcomer, V.M.D., Dip ACLAM as it new Executive Director. Christian will oversee the administration of AAALAC’s three offices (U.S., European, and Pacific Rim); 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 assumed his duties June 1 and succeeds Dr. John G. Miller who is retiring after serving as Executive Director since 1996.
Dr. Newcomer has served on AAALAC’s Council on Accreditation, is current president of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, and is a past president of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. He earned his B.S. in zoology and M.S. in pathology from the University of Michigan and his V.M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He has been an ACLAM Diplomate since 1982.
AAALAC International was established in 1965 and is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary accreditation and evaluation programs. Institutions seeking accreditation receive an independent, expert assessment of their animal care and use program. Those that meet or exceed applicable standards are awarded accreditation—a symbol of quality assurance recognized around the world. More than 750 institutions in 29 countries have earned AAALAC accreditation, demonstrating their commitment to high quality animal care and good science.
NABR to Hold Leadership Conference/ International Forum for Animal Research—June 23–25
The National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR) will hold its leadership conference on June 23, 2008 in Washington, D.C. This meeting will be followed by an International Forum for Animal Research: Communication & Collaboration, June 24–25. The stated purpose of this forum is to “learn the direction of global regulation, prospects for harmonization of standards and ethical concerns from leaders directly involved in science and public policy.”
International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX)—7th Congress of Toxicology in Developing Countries to Convene in South Africa
The Toxicology Society of South Africa (TOXSA) will be hosting the 7th Congress of Toxicology in Developing Countries (7CTDC) in Sun City, South Africa, September 6–10, 2009. Please visit this website for the First Announcement (9.3 MB).
The XII International Congress of Toxicology Scheduled for Barcelona—July 2010
The proposal submission process is underway for the ICTXII meeting scheduled for July 10–15, 2010, in Barcelona. For further information about preparing and submitting a proposal, download the proposal instructions. If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to IUTOX Headquarters.
Links to other societies newsletters are below:
International Union of Toxicology
National Association for Biomedical Research
American Association for the Advancement of Science
For information about the American Association for the Advancement of Science, go to the AAAS Web site. AAAS Advances, a members-only e-newsletter, provides additional science news, event announcements, career information, award deadlines and more. Learn more about AAAS membership.
SOT PDA represented at the National Postdoctoral Association Annual Meeting
Heather Floyd, the 2008–2009 Chair of the SOT Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA), attended the National Postdoctoral Association Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts at the end of April. During the Leadership Workshop, Dr. Floyd discussed a number of topics including sustaining membership, leadership, and participation and the status of ten action items relative to postdoctoral training identified in the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy. She and the other participants also explored topics including mentoring, career and family issues, and conflict resolution.
Johnson & Johnson Honored with NJABR’s 3Rs Award
Johnson & Johnson, an SOT Affiliate, was the recipient of the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research (NJABR) 2007 3Rs Award, presented at Alternatively Speaking, a public education forum about the use of animals in research, testing, education, and training, held last fall, at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The award honors outstanding contributions to the development or implementation of alternative research methods resulting in one of the 3Rs—Reduction of the number of animals used in research and testing, Refinement of procedures to minimize animal pain and distress, and Replacement or use of a lower order of animal when scientifically appropriate. SOT and other sponsors provided support for this award.
Johnson & Johnson 3R activities include research on alternatives for animal models, awards acknowledging important advancements related to the 3Rs, postdoctoral appointments that recognize the mentorship role of scientists who have achieved the level of Research or Engineering Fellow in the Advanced Scientific Ladder, publicly posted policies regarding the humane care and use of laboratory research animals, and external partnering with several non-profit organizations concerned with the advancement of the 3Rs.
Use of the 3Rs improves scientific research and animal welfare. The 3Rs Award reflects NJABR’s core commitment to promoting understanding of alternatives as integral to the humane care of laboratory animals and the scientific process in which animals play a vital role. The goals of NJABR in sponsoring this award are to applaud and encourage those who work to make research better, as well as to educate the public about the high level commitment within the scientific community to develop and implement the 3Rs.
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