AALAS is accepting nominations for the prestigious AALAS awards, which are presented at the Opening General Session at the National Meeting. Nominees for all AALAS awards, other than the Nathan R. Brewer Scientific Award, must be national members of AALAS.
Each of the awards, excluding the AALAS Technician Publication Award and Poster Awards, requires a complete nomination packet. Inaccurate information may result in disqualification of the nominee. Please help the Awards Selection Committee evaluate your nominee properly by sending your nomination packets to the AALAS office by May 1. For nomination information, please visit www.aalas.org/association/awards.aspx.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Leadership Opportunities Available
Trustee, and alternate trustee nomination deadlines are fast approaching. April 15 is the deadline to submit to the AALAS office nominating petitions to run for vice president-elect, district trustee or alternate trustee. Three-year terms commence at the close of the AALAS 2008 National Meeting in Indianapolis.
To be placed on the ballot, candidates must meet the eligibility requirements. Vice president-elect candidates must submit nominating petitions with the signatures of at least 200 AALAS national members. District or alternate trustee candidates must submit nominating petitions with the signatures of at least 25 current AALAS national members from within their district. Fax completed petitions to the national office at 901-753-0046 or email scanned petitions to Amy Sauls (amy.sauls@aalas.org).
Eligibility information, a list of open positions, and a link to download the vice president-elect candidate packet or the trustee/alternate nominating petition can be found on the AALAS site. Log in, and then choose "Leadership" from the Association menu. Under related links, click "Leadership Nomination Information."
To be placed on the ballot, candidates must meet the eligibility requirements. Vice president-elect candidates must submit nominating petitions with the signatures of at least 200 AALAS national members. District or alternate trustee candidates must submit nominating petitions with the signatures of at least 25 current AALAS national members from within their district. Fax completed petitions to the national office at 901-753-0046 or email scanned petitions to Amy Sauls (amy.sauls@aalas.org).
Eligibility information, a list of open positions, and a link to download the vice president-elect candidate packet or the trustee/alternate nominating petition can be found on the AALAS site. Log in, and then choose "Leadership" from the Association menu. Under related links, click "Leadership Nomination Information."
AALAS Learning Library Adds Additional Courses
LATG Courses
New LATG courses are now available on the AALAS Learning Library (ALL), which correspond with the 2007 revision of the LATG Training Manual. Because new questions based on the revised manual will be on the LATG certification exam starting in May, individuals who expect to take the exam before May 2008 can continue studying from the 2000 LATG Training Manual. Therefore, the 2000 course versions will be available until April. To avoid confusion, each version of the courses incorporates the date of the manual it is based on.
The Semiannual Facility Inspection
Developed by Martha Rooks, PhD, chair of the Online Learning Committee, this media-rich course offers a short scenario of a typical semiannual facility inspection. It may be used as an orientation or a refresher for personnel involved in IACUC inspections. Video clips show the process of an inspection where common issues are identified and a follow-up meeting in which these issues are addressed. The course summarizes the responsibilities of researchers and IACUC members in animal care and use programs, and specifically in a facility inspection. The course also offers a succinct description of basic information related to animal protocols, such as recognizing animal pain or distress and addressing the alternatives in a literature search. Streaming audio and video narrate the entire course.
Dog Biomethodology Courses
Anyone involved with the care and use of dogs in research will benefit from this suite of courses. The following courses provide comprehensive instruction regarding regulatory requirements, routine care, and common research procedures:
New LATG courses are now available on the AALAS Learning Library (ALL), which correspond with the 2007 revision of the LATG Training Manual. Because new questions based on the revised manual will be on the LATG certification exam starting in May, individuals who expect to take the exam before May 2008 can continue studying from the 2000 LATG Training Manual. Therefore, the 2000 course versions will be available until April. To avoid confusion, each version of the courses incorporates the date of the manual it is based on.
The Semiannual Facility Inspection
Developed by Martha Rooks, PhD, chair of the Online Learning Committee, this media-rich course offers a short scenario of a typical semiannual facility inspection. It may be used as an orientation or a refresher for personnel involved in IACUC inspections. Video clips show the process of an inspection where common issues are identified and a follow-up meeting in which these issues are addressed. The course summarizes the responsibilities of researchers and IACUC members in animal care and use programs, and specifically in a facility inspection. The course also offers a succinct description of basic information related to animal protocols, such as recognizing animal pain or distress and addressing the alternatives in a literature search. Streaming audio and video narrate the entire course.
Dog Biomethodology Courses
Anyone involved with the care and use of dogs in research will benefit from this suite of courses. The following courses provide comprehensive instruction regarding regulatory requirements, routine care, and common research procedures:
- The Basics
- Venous Catheterization
- Injections and Blood Collection
- Urinary Catheterization
- Endotracheal Intubation
Regulatory Flash Cards in the Works
Technicians who have successfully used the AALAS in a Flash study aid for the training manuals will enjoy the latest educational product, the AALAS Regulatory Flash. This resource, which will be available in late spring from the AALAS Bookstore, will have a total of 300 questions and answers, covering each of the regulatory mandates from the reference lists at each certification level.
ALAT
ALAT
- Animal Welfare Regulations
- Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
- Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
- Good Laboratory Practices for Nonclinical Laboratory Studies
- AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia
- Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories
- Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Research Animals
- Cost Analysis and Rate Setting Manual for Animal Research Facilities
AALAS Signs with Ingenta To Disseminate Journal Content
AALAS has contracted with IngentaConnect to provide a host of new services for Comparative Medicine and JAALAS. IngentaConnect will create a custom-built web site for each title that will link from the AALAS site. These mini “sites” will retain the design of the AALAS site, and users will experience a seamless transition from the AALAS home page to the journal content.
The Ingenta sites will offer users an improved search functionality, as well as linked references to other papers. The current practice of allowing open access of articles older than six months will remain in effect. The Comparative Medicine and JAALAS sites are on track to launch this spring with the current issues and the 2006–2007 back issues. To access content before 2006, users will search the current article database, which will be converted to the Ingenta system format over a period of years.
In addition, the AALAS journals will be accessible to the more than 19 million users and 25,000 registered libraries and institutions that log on to Ingenta each month.
The Ingenta sites will offer users an improved search functionality, as well as linked references to other papers. The current practice of allowing open access of articles older than six months will remain in effect. The Comparative Medicine and JAALAS sites are on track to launch this spring with the current issues and the 2006–2007 back issues. To access content before 2006, users will search the current article database, which will be converted to the Ingenta system format over a period of years.
In addition, the AALAS journals will be accessible to the more than 19 million users and 25,000 registered libraries and institutions that log on to Ingenta each month.
Monday, January 28, 2008
AAALAC Award Goes to Julia Granowski
Julia Granowski, AA, CVT, RLATG was selected as the 2008 U.S. recipient of the AAALAC International Technician Fellowship.
Julia is Facility Manager/Supervisor for the National Jewish Medical & Research Center in Colorado, where she is responsible for the physical plant and coordinating investigator projects, as well as assisting in budgetary and hiring decisions. She is active in the Mile High AALAS Branch and has served as president, vice president, and board member.
She earned a degree in Animal Technology from Colorado Springs Mountain College and received her RLATG designation in September 2001.
As part of the Fellowship, Granowski will participate in a week-long education internship in an animal care and use program in the United Kingdom. This will be followed by attendance at the IAT Congress.
The award is presented by AAALAC International through a grant by Priority One Services, Inc., and in cooperation with the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, the Institute of Animal Technology, the Medical Research Counsel, and the National Institutes of Health.
Julia is Facility Manager/Supervisor for the National Jewish Medical & Research Center in Colorado, where she is responsible for the physical plant and coordinating investigator projects, as well as assisting in budgetary and hiring decisions. She is active in the Mile High AALAS Branch and has served as president, vice president, and board member.
She earned a degree in Animal Technology from Colorado Springs Mountain College and received her RLATG designation in September 2001.
As part of the Fellowship, Granowski will participate in a week-long education internship in an animal care and use program in the United Kingdom. This will be followed by attendance at the IAT Congress.
The award is presented by AAALAC International through a grant by Priority One Services, Inc., and in cooperation with the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, the Institute of Animal Technology, the Medical Research Counsel, and the National Institutes of Health.
Chips May Replace Rats
According to a CNN article, mice and rats may be replaced by chips one day. The article reports scientists are experimenting with a chip that "...looks like a standard microscope slide, but it holds hundreds of tiny white dots loaded with human cell cultures and enzymes. It's designed to mimic human reactions to potentially toxic chemical compounds,..."
Former AALAS president and now senior science adviser to the National Association for Biomedical Research, Dr. Taylor Bennett, is quoted in the article.
Former AALAS president and now senior science adviser to the National Association for Biomedical Research, Dr. Taylor Bennett, is quoted in the article.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Tech Week Almost Here
Join AALAS in recognizing all technicians as "Heroes Behind the Science" during International Laboratory Animal Technician Week (January 27-February 2). For more details and ordering information, click here.
Topic Submissions Due March 15
The deadline for AALAS National Meeting topic submissions is March 15, 2008, while the deadline for abstract submissions has been pushed back to June 1. You may view the requirements for submitting abstracts and proposing educational session topics on the National Meeting website at nationalmeeting.aalas.org/callforabs.asp.
Abstract and topic submission for this year's National Meeting will again be handled through the Abstract Central submission site, aalas.abstractcentral.com.This browser-based system offers many benefits, including fast, easy online submission and unlimited technical support.
If you choose to submit a topic, please note that you must include the title, brief description, and names and contact information for any suggested panelists, speakers, or leader. Once the submission undergoes review and acceptance, any substitution or addition of speakers must be approved by the Program Committee.
If you choose to submit an abstract, please follow the guidelines and provide complete information. This will greatly assist the Program Committee in their review process and enable the correct assignment of your abstract to the appropriate program session.
National Meeting Exhibitor Prospectus Online
The priority point application deadline is February 4, so now is the time to begin thinking about exhibiting at the 2008 National Meeting.
In the Exhibitor Prospectus, you'll find diagrams of the hall, specs, prices, sponsorship opportunities, and application forms. For additional information about exhibiting at the AALAS National Meeting, please email Christy Miller.
In the Exhibitor Prospectus, you'll find diagrams of the hall, specs, prices, sponsorship opportunities, and application forms. For additional information about exhibiting at the AALAS National Meeting, please email Christy Miller.
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