Animal Welfare
Federal regulations require the review of all projects (research, teaching, or other) involving the use of vertebrate animals by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). At Washington University, the Animal Studies Committee (ASC) fulfills this responsibility. The ASC oversees and evaluates animal care and use programs, procedures, and facilities at Washington University, including provisioning of animal care education, certification, and protocol approval.
The Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM) is responsible for providing routine animal husbandry, veterinary clinical care, and professional, technical, and facilities support for all animal research projects.
The Animal Studies Committee (ASC) and the Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM) coordinate to provide communication, education, and training for researchers, staff, and new ASC members and to assure that research involving animals is in compliance with Federal regulations and University and sponsoring agency policies and procedures.