OldDog/NewTricks
Well-known member
- AMP is on our side
AMP News Service Digest
Thursday,September 7, 2006
________________________________
In This Edition:
LA TIMES PROFILES JERRY VLASAK
HSUS MERGES WITH DORIS DAY ANIMAL LEAGUE
BREAKTHROUGH IN LUPUS GENE STUDY SPARKS ANIMAL RESEARCH DEBATE
PRO-TEST FOUNDER SELECTED ONE OF UK's "TOP 50 GOOD PEOPLE"
NIH LAUNCHES KNOCKOUT MOUSE PROJECT
WASHINGTONPOSTSPOTLIGHTS NIH POST DOC
AMP WELCOMES DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS KEN SATTERFIELD
SECURITY NOTE - SHAC SENTENCING
RESEARCH RESOURCES
________________________________
LA TIMES PROFILES JERRY VLASAK
The Los Angeles Times ran a lengthy profile Tuesday of animal rights militant Jerry Vlasak, an Animal Liberation Press Officer. Clearly, the reporter was flummoxed by the contrast of Vlasak's endorsement of killing scientists as "morally justifiable" to Vlasak's work as a trauma surgeon at Riverside (CA) Community Hospital.
The article also notes that Vlasak "sits on a precarious perch within the animal rights movement" in his role as above ground spokesman for "shadowy groups that sabotage labs, firebomb properties and make death threats via late-night phone calls."
Vlasak's work with his wife Pamelyn Ferdin in running the Animal Defense League - LA and their routine demonstrations at the home of employees the city's animal services department is also covered. "Their tactics both infuriate and frighten. The boundary between them and the criminal underground is murky: often, those on both sides target the same people."
The Times piece said the Anti-Defamation League, which monitors hate groups, suspects that Vlasak is tied to the underground that most recently targeted a UCLA scientist who reportedly announced he was ending his work with animals because his family was threatened by activists.
"Spokespeople don't come out of nowhere," said the ADL's Oren Segal. They have to prove their bona fides somehow. One of the reasons that the Animal Liberation Press Office is so respected in the movement is that he is connected."
The work of Cincinnati activist Michael Budkie, of Stop Animal Exploitation Now, the article noted "provides much of the research that activists use to decide whom to target."
Budkie held a news conference with other activists at UCLA on Tuesday to claim that the university's test animals are "so stressed they are mutilating their own bodies" and that UCLA conducts research to attract grant money.
Vlasak's American Animal Liberation Press Office claimed last week that an un-named but well-known male celebrity contributed $50,000 to UCLA Primate Freedom's long-standing award of $10,000 for information that "leads to the arrest and conviction of any UCLA researcher who conducts experiments involving animals." Vlasak told a reporter from UPI, "Nobody really expects to see the reward paid out." He added, "There's almost no enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act."
Jacquie Calnan, president of Americans for Medical Progress, told UPI she thought the announcement of the reward offer from the animal groups was public relations hype. "To claim an unnamed celebrity contributed money is a PR tactic to gain attention."
Los AngelesTimes, September 5, 2006, "Surgeon Walks a Thin Line on Animal Rights"
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-alf5sep05,1,1767124.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Los AngelesTimes, September 6, 2006, "UCLA Presents Distorted Image of Animal Testing, Activists Allege"
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-animals6sep06,1,858927.story
United Press International, September 5, 2006, "Analysis: Animal-rights groups up the ante"
http://www.upi.com/HealthBusiness/view.php?StoryID=20060905-043659-2240r
_______________________________
HSUS MERGES WITH DORIS DAY ANIMAL LEAGUE
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is continuing with its growth model of mergers and acquisitions.
This week it announced that it has merged with the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL) and that the League's two key officers will hold major positions in the HSUS. The merger was finalized in a personal visit by HSUS president Wayne Pacelle to the California home of Doris Day.
DDAL executive director Holly Hazard will become Chief Innovation Officer at HSUS, focusing on wildlife and pet programs and new business ventures. Sara Amundson, legislative director for DDAL will be the executive director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.
Perhaps of greater note, the HSUS, already with 9.5 million members and revenues in 2005 of $145 million, gains access to DDAL's 180,000 members and $3.4 million annual revenue.
A news release issued by the organizations stated that the merger would "result in increased public policy activity and coordination on animal welfare issues and further streamline operations among national animal advocacy groups."
The announcement follows the 2005 merger of the HSUS with the Fund for Animals, and the recent hiring of leaders of two vocal animal rights groups, Jennifer Fearing of United Animal Nations and Miyun Park and Paul Shapiro of Compassion Over Killing. JP Goodwin, leader of the radical Committee to Abolish the Fur Trade, was hired by HSUS for its legislative efforts a few years ago.
""I think our goal is to accumulate greater strength so we can be more effective. We want to show policy leaders and lawmakers we're a formidable entity," Pacelle told The Washington Post.
PR Web Press Release, September 5, "The Humane Society of the United States and Doris Day Animal League Announce Merger and Join Forces to Enhance Work for Animals"
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/9/prweb432130.htm
Washington Post, September 7, "Merger Adds to Humane Society's Bite"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/06/AR2006090601770.html
_______________________________
BREAKTHROUGH IN LUPUS GENE STUDY SPARKS ANIMAL RESEARCH DEBATE
The Monitor, the largest newspaper in South Texas, this week reported on the ongoing controversy over the use of animals in research. Dr. Edward Wakeland, professor of immunology and director of the University of Texas Southwestern's Center for Immunology, noted that mice served an indispensable role in research leading to the discovery in June of genetic mutations responsible for lupus, an auto-immune disorder. Wakeland offered that "the entire project was completely dependent on the use of mice for the discovery of the gene," adding that strong evidence indicates the genetic mutation also exists in humans.
The newspaper quoted PETA's Alka Chandna as repeating the oft-used animal rights claim that 92 percent of all drugs tested on animals are later found to have different results in humans. She maintained that drug tests on animals "are often inaccurate," thus people become the real "guinea pigs."
Chris Abee, director of the Michale E. Keeling Center, Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Bastrop, illustrated the necessity for using animals in medical research by citing the development of the polio vaccine.
"When I was a kid, polio was a feared disease," Abee said. "There were hospitals filled with children and adults with iron lungs. The breakthrough was when they found they could grow the polio virus in Rhesus monkey kidney cells. That was the breakthrough that led to the development of the Salk vaccine."
Abee described his discussion with an animal rights activist in which he used the polio vaccine virus as an example of the need for animal models in research. "That person said to me he felt it would be better for a few children to die from a bad lot of vaccine than to use that animal to test for safety, because the animal could die. I had a person tell me that." He told the activist, "We don't have any common ground here to discuss," he said. "You have an absolutist agenda. That's really the point of the controversy."
The article profiled a lupus patient who had conflicted feelings about animals being used in research to find a cure for her disease. But she agreed without hesitation that the use of animals was justifiable in the case of the polio vaccine "We're talking about saving human lives," she said. "If doing studies on Rhesus monkeys would save people, millions of children, the benefits outweigh that." She added, "The reason they do it is obviously to save human lives. Obviously they need something that would mirror the physiology of the human being."
The Monitor (TX), September 4, 2006, "Despite breakthroughs, use of animals for lab research a source of continuing debate"
http://www.themonitor.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=15152&Section=Valley%20Life
________________________________
PRO-TEST FOUNDER SELECTED ONE OF UK's "TOP 50 GOOD PEOPLE"
Laurie Pycroft, the 16-year-old who started the Pro-Test group which campaigns in support of scientists' work with animals, has been selected as one of Great Britain's "top 50 good people" by The Independent, a London major daily newspaper. The paper's associate editor, Paul Valley, characterized the 50 named individuals: "These people come from all ends of the political spectrum and all kinds of jobs, but what characterizes them is that they force the rest of us to re-imagine the world in a different way."
At the AALAS National Meeting next month, Laurie Pycroft and a Pro-Test colleague, Iain Simpson, will participate with AMP Chairman John D. Young in a Special Topic Lecture entitled "Raising Voices, Saving Lives: Advocacy for Medical Progress." The lecture will be immediately followed by a round table discussion on the same topic. Both events, sponsored by AMP and AALAS, are open to all AALAS National Meeting attendees and will be held Wednesday, October 18, in Ballroom F. Please plan to attend!
Guardian Unlimited, September 1, 2006, "Sir Bob on newspaper's 'good list'"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6051482,00.html
BBC News, September 6, 2006, "List chooses top 50 'good people'"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5304240.stm <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5304240.stm>
The Independent, September 1, 2006, "The Good List" (article purchase required) http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article1223340.ece
NIH LAUNCHES KNOCKOUT MOUSE PROJECT
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today awarded a set of cooperative agreements, totaling up to $52 million over five years, to launch the Knockout Mouse Project. The goal of this program is to build a comprehensive and publicly available resource of knockout mutations in the mouse genome. The knockout mice produced from this resource will be extremely useful for the study of human disease.
The NIH Knockout Mouse Project will work closely with other large-scale efforts to produce knockouts that are underway in Canada, called the North American Conditional Mouse Mutagenesis Project (NorCOMM), and in Europe, called the European Conditional Mouse Mutagenesis Program (EUCOMM). The objective of all these programs is to create a mutation in each of the approximately 20,000 protein-coding genes in the mouse genome.
"Knockout mice are powerful tools for exploring the function of genes and creating animal models of human disease. By enabling more researchers to study these knockouts, this trans-NIH initiative will accelerate our efforts to translate basic research findings into new strategies for improving human health," said NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D. "It is exciting that so many components of NIH have joined together to support this project, and that the NIH Knockout Mouse Project will be working hand-in-hand with other international efforts. This is scientific teamwork at its best."
For more information, go to http://www.nih.gov/science/models/mouse/knockout/
NIH News, September 7, 2006 "NIH Launches Knockout Mouse Project"
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/sep2006/nhgri-07a.htm
WASHINGTONPOST SPOTLIGHTS NIH POST-DOC
As part of a Labor Day Washington Post feature on "Odd Jobs That Keep the Area Humming," a business writer focused on the work of an NIH post-doctorate candidate, whose job description includes preparing tissue samples of mice and rats for neurological studies.
The article notes "Her responsibilities reflect the required career progression of the 3,500 scientists employed at the federal research facility. But her position is also among the thousands of positions that have helped turn Washington into one of the richest and most educated metropolitan areas in the country. Often two-sided in nature, they are jobs that might be filled by a PhD and have deeply creative elements, yet still involve the type of repetitive tasks more associated with work on an assembly line. "
The NIH scientist notes that she is often asked, "Why do you do that? Can you cure people by doing that? The honest answer is that I don't know. This is basic research. It's an investment but there is no guarantee on the outcome. It's the first step."
She reflected on the value of research using animals. "When I first started, of course nobody wants to work with animals. You maybe feel attached to the animal. But the reason for which you are doing it justifies what you are doing. From my point of view, I am doing it for a good purpose."
The Washington Post, September 4, 2006, "The Brain Slicker: Odd Jobs that Keep the Area Humming"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/03/AR2006090300694.html
AMP WELCOMES DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS KEN SATTERFIELD
Last week we bade farewell to Liz Reitz, AMP Public Affairs Coordinator since April 2005. Liz has accepted an offer to be Communications Specialist at the national headquarters of United Cerebral Palsy, one of the largest health charities in America. We wish her the best in her new endeavor.
Ken Satterfield has joined Americans for Medical Progress in the newly-created position of Director of Public Affairs. He has more than 25 years of public relations and media experience, as a U.S. Navy Public Affairs Officer and as Director of Public Relations for the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, the national medical society for the nation's ear, nose, and throat specialists. He has a Master of Health Services Administration degree from the George Washington University and a Master of Science in Public Relations from the American University in Washington, DC.
Ken will assist our staff and those who believe in responsible medical research in informing the press and public why humane animal research benefits both people and animals.
If you have a story that the public needs to hear, contact Ken at [email protected]
________________________________
SECURITY NOTE - SHAC SENTENCING
September 12 Trenton, NJ Sentencing date for the six SHAC members convicted of domestic terrorism charges. SHAC has called for activists to come to the courthouse to show their support that day. The session may carry over into September 13. Activists have designated September 16 a day of international protestin response to the pending imprisonments. If history is any guide, it may be anticipated that a few militants will chose to "honor" the SHAC activists in days following the sentencing with acts of vandalism, break-ins and the like acted out in their name. We urge those AMP News Service readers with facility responsibilities to ensure their security is at optimum performance during this time. Please contact AMP for further information or assistance.
________________________________
RESEARCH RESOURCES
States United for Biomedical Research and the Science National Honor Society are once again cosponsoring the annual Thank Research Digital Poster Contest. The national contest is open to 11th and 12th grade students. Cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100 will be awarded to winning students. In addition, the teacher of the first-place winner will be awarded a cash prize of $250. See http://www.statesforbiomed.org/programs.html for more details. The deadline for entries is September 29.
OLAW has created a brochure intended to communicate to investigators their responsibilities under PHS Grants Policy and the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Entitled What Investigators Need to Know about the Use of Animals, the brochure provides a succinct resource for investigators to quickly grasp the main expectations and requirements when using animals in PHS-supported research. The brochure may be accessed at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/InvestigatorsNeed2Know.pdf. OLAW will provide institutions with enough copies to disseminate to all of their investigators that work with animals. Send requests, along with the number of copies needed, to [email protected] . Be sure to provide your complete mailing address.
Cornell University, SCAW and the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW)
IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees)-Advanced
September 12, 2006 in Ithaca, NY
IACUC Advanced is for experienced IACUC members and others who work with laboratory animals. The focus of this workshop will include IACUC review and scientific merit, protocol and grant application congruency, IACUC and institutional responsibility for occupational health and safety, reportable events, IACUC responsibility for transgenic animal protocols, ethical considerations for the IACUC, and training and care of community members. For more information and to register, visit http://www.scaw.com/iacuc-advanced.htm.
Cornell University, Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW), and the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW)
Practical Approaches to Managing Occupational Health Programs in Your Animal Facility
September 13 - 14 in Ithaca, NY
This conference brings together internationally recognized leaders of the scientific and regulatory
communities to identify issues and propose practical ideas for the implementation of successful programs of occupational health for animal users. Those involved in any aspect of an occupational health and safety program, including institutional officials, IACUC members and administrators, principal investigators, occupational medicine physicians and practitioners, biosafety officers, and attending veterinarians are encouraged to attend. For more information and to register, visit http://www.research.cornell.edu/care/conference.htm.
PRIM&R/ARENA events:
IBC Basics: An Introduction to the NIH Guidelines and the Oversight of Recombinant DNA Research September 18 in San Francisco, CA
This full day course focuses on the history, function, and administration of IBCs. The faculty for this course will include staff members from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Biotechnology Activities (OBA), as well as institutional biosafety professionals and other members of the IBC community. For more information and to register, visit www.primr.org <http://www.primr.org/> .
Essentials of IACUC Administration
September 19-20 in San Francisco, CA
This 1 ½-day program provides Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) administrators and support staff, as well as training and compliance personnel, with an overview of how to effectively manage an animal care and use program. This course will review the key components of an integrated program, examine the primary responsibilities of administrators; and discuss strategies for creating a culture that assures the humane care and use of animals while facilitating their use in research and teaching. For more information and to register, visit www.primr.org <http://www.primr.org/> . Registration closes September 13.
The AWEN Group
Surviving the Unthinkable: Rethinking Animal Research Disaster Planning for Today's Realities
September 21-22 in Salem, MA
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it is important to have a realistic plan in place should disaster strike. The AWEN Group is the first to re-examine disaster planning for animal research facilities in light of Hurricane Katrina and other events experienced over the last several years. The two day conference should be of particular interest to research administrators, risk managers, IACUC members, program managers, laboratory animal veterinarians, laboratory animal caretakers, security and IT professionals and other institutional decision makers. For more information and to register, visithttp://www.theawengroup.com/SurvivingtheUnthinkable.htm <http://www.theawengroup.com/SurvivingtheUnthinkable.htm>
Academy of Surgical Research Annual Meeting
September 21-23 in Scottsdale, AZ
This year's meeting will focus on anesthesia and pain management. For more information and to register, visit www.surgicalresearch.org <http://www.surgicalresearch.org/> .
CaliforniaBiomedical Research Association (CBRA) and OLAW
IACUC 101
September 26, 2006 in the San Francisco Bay Area
The one day seminar is a traditional IACUC 101 course, which is a full day course that provides a basic yet comprehensive overview of the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the humane care and use of laboratory animals. For more information and to register, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/iacuc101s.htm.
NCAB AALAS is again sponsoring the LATG Review Course from September 24th through September 30th, 2006. The paper and pencil exam will be administered on September 30. Course information and registration forms can be found at www.ncabaalas.org <http://www.ncabaalas.org/> .
AAALAC nominations of AALAS Registered Technicians for the AAALAC International Technician Fellowship Award. Individuals can submit nomination packages now through October 1st. For more information, visit http://www.aaalac.org/about/fellowship.cfm.
YerkesNational Primate Research Center
24th Annual Symposium on Nonhuman Primate Models for AIDS
October 4-7 2006 in Atlanta, GA
This meeting is the premier forum for the presentation and exchange of the most recent scientific advancements in AIDS research using nonhuman primate models. Expect to learn the latest findings in primate virology, immunology, pathogenesis, vaccines and therapeutics/genetics. All scientists interested in HIV/AIDS and related research are invited to participate. For more information and to register, visit http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=38ab0d87-2ebc-433f-b933-e95637cce1d0.
The AALAS National Meeting is in Salt Lake City October 15-19. Come visit the AMP exhibit at Booth 2001. AMP is also sponsoring two Special Topic Lectures: "Raising Voices, Saving Lives: Advocacy for Medical Progress" with John Young of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Laurie Pycroft and Iain Simpson of Pro-Test on October 18 (followed by a round table discussion), and "When Activism Crosses the Line: The FBI Perspective on Animal Rights Terrorism" by FBI Supervisory Special Agent Suzanne Solomon on Thursday, October 19.
MichiganState Universityand the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology
"Ethics and Animal Biotechnology: How Do We Plan for the Future?"
October 18, 2006 in Washington, D.C.
This public symposium will provide an overview of the ethical implications of creating and using cloned or genetically engineered animals in agriculture and of utilizing genetically engineered agricultural animals for biomedical or industrial purposes. Representatives of industry, academia, non-governmental organizations, religious groups, the media and policy leaders are encouraged to attend. Registration for this event is free, but pre-registration is required and space is limited. For more information, or to register, please visit: http://pewagbiotech.org/events/1018/.
SAVE THE DATE: November 16, 2006 in East Windsor, NJ
NJABR, NCABR, PSBR and USDA/Animal Care
Re-inspecting The Process: Five Years Later
OLAW, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, the University of Hawaii, and Tripler Army Medical Center
IACUC 101 and IACUC 201
November 8-9 in Honolulu, Hawaii
The first day is a traditional IACUC 101 course, which is a full day course that provides a basic yet comprehensive overview of the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the humane care and use of laboratory animals. The second day is a special IACUC 201 course, which takes the fundamentals of IACUC 101 and applies them to the process and mechanisms of ensuring compliance. Program information is posted at http://www.hjf.org/events/. Click on "View All" on the left side of the screen, scroll down to the "IACUC 101/201 PLUS" event, and click on "More Information" for specific information including agenda, travel and accommodations information, and online registration form.
2006 SCAW Conference
December 4-5: Addressing Current Animal Research and IACUC Issues- San Antonio
http://www.scaw.com <http://www.scaw.com/>
IACUC 101/201 events in 2007:
IACUC 101 - February 21 Oklahoma State University
IACUC 101 - March 25 PRIM&R meeting in San Diego
IACUC 101 - May 3 Morehouse School of Medicine
IACUC 101/201 July 17/18 BioReliance, Invitrogen Bioservices
IACUC 101 - August 29 University of Idaho
IACUC 101 - September 27 University of Cincinnati
For the most recent schedule and details, visit: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/iacuc101s.htm.
If you have a research-related event or resource that you would like to have listed in AMP News Service Digest, please send details to us at [email protected]
________________________________
Americans for Medical Progress
908 King Street, Suite 301 w Alexandria, VA 22314 w 703.836.9595
[email protected] w www.amprogress.org <http://www.amprogress.org/>
This e-mail is part of AMP News Service and is intended for use in accordance with the Fair Use clauses to the U.S. Copyright Act.
Unsubscribe from this mailing <http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M7194556514166795734148865> .
<http://omt.kintera.org/omt/740078548.gif>
AMP News Service Digest
Thursday,September 7, 2006
________________________________
In This Edition:
LA TIMES PROFILES JERRY VLASAK
HSUS MERGES WITH DORIS DAY ANIMAL LEAGUE
BREAKTHROUGH IN LUPUS GENE STUDY SPARKS ANIMAL RESEARCH DEBATE
PRO-TEST FOUNDER SELECTED ONE OF UK's "TOP 50 GOOD PEOPLE"
NIH LAUNCHES KNOCKOUT MOUSE PROJECT
WASHINGTONPOSTSPOTLIGHTS NIH POST DOC
AMP WELCOMES DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS KEN SATTERFIELD
SECURITY NOTE - SHAC SENTENCING
RESEARCH RESOURCES
________________________________
LA TIMES PROFILES JERRY VLASAK
The Los Angeles Times ran a lengthy profile Tuesday of animal rights militant Jerry Vlasak, an Animal Liberation Press Officer. Clearly, the reporter was flummoxed by the contrast of Vlasak's endorsement of killing scientists as "morally justifiable" to Vlasak's work as a trauma surgeon at Riverside (CA) Community Hospital.
The article also notes that Vlasak "sits on a precarious perch within the animal rights movement" in his role as above ground spokesman for "shadowy groups that sabotage labs, firebomb properties and make death threats via late-night phone calls."
Vlasak's work with his wife Pamelyn Ferdin in running the Animal Defense League - LA and their routine demonstrations at the home of employees the city's animal services department is also covered. "Their tactics both infuriate and frighten. The boundary between them and the criminal underground is murky: often, those on both sides target the same people."
The Times piece said the Anti-Defamation League, which monitors hate groups, suspects that Vlasak is tied to the underground that most recently targeted a UCLA scientist who reportedly announced he was ending his work with animals because his family was threatened by activists.
"Spokespeople don't come out of nowhere," said the ADL's Oren Segal. They have to prove their bona fides somehow. One of the reasons that the Animal Liberation Press Office is so respected in the movement is that he is connected."
The work of Cincinnati activist Michael Budkie, of Stop Animal Exploitation Now, the article noted "provides much of the research that activists use to decide whom to target."
Budkie held a news conference with other activists at UCLA on Tuesday to claim that the university's test animals are "so stressed they are mutilating their own bodies" and that UCLA conducts research to attract grant money.
Vlasak's American Animal Liberation Press Office claimed last week that an un-named but well-known male celebrity contributed $50,000 to UCLA Primate Freedom's long-standing award of $10,000 for information that "leads to the arrest and conviction of any UCLA researcher who conducts experiments involving animals." Vlasak told a reporter from UPI, "Nobody really expects to see the reward paid out." He added, "There's almost no enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act."
Jacquie Calnan, president of Americans for Medical Progress, told UPI she thought the announcement of the reward offer from the animal groups was public relations hype. "To claim an unnamed celebrity contributed money is a PR tactic to gain attention."
Los AngelesTimes, September 5, 2006, "Surgeon Walks a Thin Line on Animal Rights"
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-alf5sep05,1,1767124.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Los AngelesTimes, September 6, 2006, "UCLA Presents Distorted Image of Animal Testing, Activists Allege"
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-animals6sep06,1,858927.story
United Press International, September 5, 2006, "Analysis: Animal-rights groups up the ante"
http://www.upi.com/HealthBusiness/view.php?StoryID=20060905-043659-2240r
_______________________________
HSUS MERGES WITH DORIS DAY ANIMAL LEAGUE
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is continuing with its growth model of mergers and acquisitions.
This week it announced that it has merged with the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL) and that the League's two key officers will hold major positions in the HSUS. The merger was finalized in a personal visit by HSUS president Wayne Pacelle to the California home of Doris Day.
DDAL executive director Holly Hazard will become Chief Innovation Officer at HSUS, focusing on wildlife and pet programs and new business ventures. Sara Amundson, legislative director for DDAL will be the executive director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.
Perhaps of greater note, the HSUS, already with 9.5 million members and revenues in 2005 of $145 million, gains access to DDAL's 180,000 members and $3.4 million annual revenue.
A news release issued by the organizations stated that the merger would "result in increased public policy activity and coordination on animal welfare issues and further streamline operations among national animal advocacy groups."
The announcement follows the 2005 merger of the HSUS with the Fund for Animals, and the recent hiring of leaders of two vocal animal rights groups, Jennifer Fearing of United Animal Nations and Miyun Park and Paul Shapiro of Compassion Over Killing. JP Goodwin, leader of the radical Committee to Abolish the Fur Trade, was hired by HSUS for its legislative efforts a few years ago.
""I think our goal is to accumulate greater strength so we can be more effective. We want to show policy leaders and lawmakers we're a formidable entity," Pacelle told The Washington Post.
PR Web Press Release, September 5, "The Humane Society of the United States and Doris Day Animal League Announce Merger and Join Forces to Enhance Work for Animals"
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/9/prweb432130.htm
Washington Post, September 7, "Merger Adds to Humane Society's Bite"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/06/AR2006090601770.html
_______________________________
BREAKTHROUGH IN LUPUS GENE STUDY SPARKS ANIMAL RESEARCH DEBATE
The Monitor, the largest newspaper in South Texas, this week reported on the ongoing controversy over the use of animals in research. Dr. Edward Wakeland, professor of immunology and director of the University of Texas Southwestern's Center for Immunology, noted that mice served an indispensable role in research leading to the discovery in June of genetic mutations responsible for lupus, an auto-immune disorder. Wakeland offered that "the entire project was completely dependent on the use of mice for the discovery of the gene," adding that strong evidence indicates the genetic mutation also exists in humans.
The newspaper quoted PETA's Alka Chandna as repeating the oft-used animal rights claim that 92 percent of all drugs tested on animals are later found to have different results in humans. She maintained that drug tests on animals "are often inaccurate," thus people become the real "guinea pigs."
Chris Abee, director of the Michale E. Keeling Center, Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Bastrop, illustrated the necessity for using animals in medical research by citing the development of the polio vaccine.
"When I was a kid, polio was a feared disease," Abee said. "There were hospitals filled with children and adults with iron lungs. The breakthrough was when they found they could grow the polio virus in Rhesus monkey kidney cells. That was the breakthrough that led to the development of the Salk vaccine."
Abee described his discussion with an animal rights activist in which he used the polio vaccine virus as an example of the need for animal models in research. "That person said to me he felt it would be better for a few children to die from a bad lot of vaccine than to use that animal to test for safety, because the animal could die. I had a person tell me that." He told the activist, "We don't have any common ground here to discuss," he said. "You have an absolutist agenda. That's really the point of the controversy."
The article profiled a lupus patient who had conflicted feelings about animals being used in research to find a cure for her disease. But she agreed without hesitation that the use of animals was justifiable in the case of the polio vaccine "We're talking about saving human lives," she said. "If doing studies on Rhesus monkeys would save people, millions of children, the benefits outweigh that." She added, "The reason they do it is obviously to save human lives. Obviously they need something that would mirror the physiology of the human being."
The Monitor (TX), September 4, 2006, "Despite breakthroughs, use of animals for lab research a source of continuing debate"
http://www.themonitor.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=15152&Section=Valley%20Life
________________________________
PRO-TEST FOUNDER SELECTED ONE OF UK's "TOP 50 GOOD PEOPLE"
Laurie Pycroft, the 16-year-old who started the Pro-Test group which campaigns in support of scientists' work with animals, has been selected as one of Great Britain's "top 50 good people" by The Independent, a London major daily newspaper. The paper's associate editor, Paul Valley, characterized the 50 named individuals: "These people come from all ends of the political spectrum and all kinds of jobs, but what characterizes them is that they force the rest of us to re-imagine the world in a different way."
At the AALAS National Meeting next month, Laurie Pycroft and a Pro-Test colleague, Iain Simpson, will participate with AMP Chairman John D. Young in a Special Topic Lecture entitled "Raising Voices, Saving Lives: Advocacy for Medical Progress." The lecture will be immediately followed by a round table discussion on the same topic. Both events, sponsored by AMP and AALAS, are open to all AALAS National Meeting attendees and will be held Wednesday, October 18, in Ballroom F. Please plan to attend!
Guardian Unlimited, September 1, 2006, "Sir Bob on newspaper's 'good list'"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6051482,00.html
BBC News, September 6, 2006, "List chooses top 50 'good people'"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5304240.stm <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5304240.stm>
The Independent, September 1, 2006, "The Good List" (article purchase required) http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article1223340.ece
NIH LAUNCHES KNOCKOUT MOUSE PROJECT
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today awarded a set of cooperative agreements, totaling up to $52 million over five years, to launch the Knockout Mouse Project. The goal of this program is to build a comprehensive and publicly available resource of knockout mutations in the mouse genome. The knockout mice produced from this resource will be extremely useful for the study of human disease.
The NIH Knockout Mouse Project will work closely with other large-scale efforts to produce knockouts that are underway in Canada, called the North American Conditional Mouse Mutagenesis Project (NorCOMM), and in Europe, called the European Conditional Mouse Mutagenesis Program (EUCOMM). The objective of all these programs is to create a mutation in each of the approximately 20,000 protein-coding genes in the mouse genome.
"Knockout mice are powerful tools for exploring the function of genes and creating animal models of human disease. By enabling more researchers to study these knockouts, this trans-NIH initiative will accelerate our efforts to translate basic research findings into new strategies for improving human health," said NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D. "It is exciting that so many components of NIH have joined together to support this project, and that the NIH Knockout Mouse Project will be working hand-in-hand with other international efforts. This is scientific teamwork at its best."
For more information, go to http://www.nih.gov/science/models/mouse/knockout/
NIH News, September 7, 2006 "NIH Launches Knockout Mouse Project"
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/sep2006/nhgri-07a.htm
WASHINGTONPOST SPOTLIGHTS NIH POST-DOC
As part of a Labor Day Washington Post feature on "Odd Jobs That Keep the Area Humming," a business writer focused on the work of an NIH post-doctorate candidate, whose job description includes preparing tissue samples of mice and rats for neurological studies.
The article notes "Her responsibilities reflect the required career progression of the 3,500 scientists employed at the federal research facility. But her position is also among the thousands of positions that have helped turn Washington into one of the richest and most educated metropolitan areas in the country. Often two-sided in nature, they are jobs that might be filled by a PhD and have deeply creative elements, yet still involve the type of repetitive tasks more associated with work on an assembly line. "
The NIH scientist notes that she is often asked, "Why do you do that? Can you cure people by doing that? The honest answer is that I don't know. This is basic research. It's an investment but there is no guarantee on the outcome. It's the first step."
She reflected on the value of research using animals. "When I first started, of course nobody wants to work with animals. You maybe feel attached to the animal. But the reason for which you are doing it justifies what you are doing. From my point of view, I am doing it for a good purpose."
The Washington Post, September 4, 2006, "The Brain Slicker: Odd Jobs that Keep the Area Humming"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/03/AR2006090300694.html
AMP WELCOMES DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS KEN SATTERFIELD
Last week we bade farewell to Liz Reitz, AMP Public Affairs Coordinator since April 2005. Liz has accepted an offer to be Communications Specialist at the national headquarters of United Cerebral Palsy, one of the largest health charities in America. We wish her the best in her new endeavor.
Ken Satterfield has joined Americans for Medical Progress in the newly-created position of Director of Public Affairs. He has more than 25 years of public relations and media experience, as a U.S. Navy Public Affairs Officer and as Director of Public Relations for the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, the national medical society for the nation's ear, nose, and throat specialists. He has a Master of Health Services Administration degree from the George Washington University and a Master of Science in Public Relations from the American University in Washington, DC.
Ken will assist our staff and those who believe in responsible medical research in informing the press and public why humane animal research benefits both people and animals.
If you have a story that the public needs to hear, contact Ken at [email protected]
________________________________
SECURITY NOTE - SHAC SENTENCING
September 12 Trenton, NJ Sentencing date for the six SHAC members convicted of domestic terrorism charges. SHAC has called for activists to come to the courthouse to show their support that day. The session may carry over into September 13. Activists have designated September 16 a day of international protestin response to the pending imprisonments. If history is any guide, it may be anticipated that a few militants will chose to "honor" the SHAC activists in days following the sentencing with acts of vandalism, break-ins and the like acted out in their name. We urge those AMP News Service readers with facility responsibilities to ensure their security is at optimum performance during this time. Please contact AMP for further information or assistance.
________________________________
RESEARCH RESOURCES
States United for Biomedical Research and the Science National Honor Society are once again cosponsoring the annual Thank Research Digital Poster Contest. The national contest is open to 11th and 12th grade students. Cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100 will be awarded to winning students. In addition, the teacher of the first-place winner will be awarded a cash prize of $250. See http://www.statesforbiomed.org/programs.html for more details. The deadline for entries is September 29.
OLAW has created a brochure intended to communicate to investigators their responsibilities under PHS Grants Policy and the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Entitled What Investigators Need to Know about the Use of Animals, the brochure provides a succinct resource for investigators to quickly grasp the main expectations and requirements when using animals in PHS-supported research. The brochure may be accessed at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/InvestigatorsNeed2Know.pdf. OLAW will provide institutions with enough copies to disseminate to all of their investigators that work with animals. Send requests, along with the number of copies needed, to [email protected] . Be sure to provide your complete mailing address.
Cornell University, SCAW and the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW)
IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees)-Advanced
September 12, 2006 in Ithaca, NY
IACUC Advanced is for experienced IACUC members and others who work with laboratory animals. The focus of this workshop will include IACUC review and scientific merit, protocol and grant application congruency, IACUC and institutional responsibility for occupational health and safety, reportable events, IACUC responsibility for transgenic animal protocols, ethical considerations for the IACUC, and training and care of community members. For more information and to register, visit http://www.scaw.com/iacuc-advanced.htm.
Cornell University, Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW), and the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW)
Practical Approaches to Managing Occupational Health Programs in Your Animal Facility
September 13 - 14 in Ithaca, NY
This conference brings together internationally recognized leaders of the scientific and regulatory
communities to identify issues and propose practical ideas for the implementation of successful programs of occupational health for animal users. Those involved in any aspect of an occupational health and safety program, including institutional officials, IACUC members and administrators, principal investigators, occupational medicine physicians and practitioners, biosafety officers, and attending veterinarians are encouraged to attend. For more information and to register, visit http://www.research.cornell.edu/care/conference.htm.
PRIM&R/ARENA events:
IBC Basics: An Introduction to the NIH Guidelines and the Oversight of Recombinant DNA Research September 18 in San Francisco, CA
This full day course focuses on the history, function, and administration of IBCs. The faculty for this course will include staff members from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Biotechnology Activities (OBA), as well as institutional biosafety professionals and other members of the IBC community. For more information and to register, visit www.primr.org <http://www.primr.org/> .
Essentials of IACUC Administration
September 19-20 in San Francisco, CA
This 1 ½-day program provides Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) administrators and support staff, as well as training and compliance personnel, with an overview of how to effectively manage an animal care and use program. This course will review the key components of an integrated program, examine the primary responsibilities of administrators; and discuss strategies for creating a culture that assures the humane care and use of animals while facilitating their use in research and teaching. For more information and to register, visit www.primr.org <http://www.primr.org/> . Registration closes September 13.
The AWEN Group
Surviving the Unthinkable: Rethinking Animal Research Disaster Planning for Today's Realities
September 21-22 in Salem, MA
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it is important to have a realistic plan in place should disaster strike. The AWEN Group is the first to re-examine disaster planning for animal research facilities in light of Hurricane Katrina and other events experienced over the last several years. The two day conference should be of particular interest to research administrators, risk managers, IACUC members, program managers, laboratory animal veterinarians, laboratory animal caretakers, security and IT professionals and other institutional decision makers. For more information and to register, visithttp://www.theawengroup.com/SurvivingtheUnthinkable.htm <http://www.theawengroup.com/SurvivingtheUnthinkable.htm>
Academy of Surgical Research Annual Meeting
September 21-23 in Scottsdale, AZ
This year's meeting will focus on anesthesia and pain management. For more information and to register, visit www.surgicalresearch.org <http://www.surgicalresearch.org/> .
CaliforniaBiomedical Research Association (CBRA) and OLAW
IACUC 101
September 26, 2006 in the San Francisco Bay Area
The one day seminar is a traditional IACUC 101 course, which is a full day course that provides a basic yet comprehensive overview of the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the humane care and use of laboratory animals. For more information and to register, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/iacuc101s.htm.
NCAB AALAS is again sponsoring the LATG Review Course from September 24th through September 30th, 2006. The paper and pencil exam will be administered on September 30. Course information and registration forms can be found at www.ncabaalas.org <http://www.ncabaalas.org/> .
AAALAC nominations of AALAS Registered Technicians for the AAALAC International Technician Fellowship Award. Individuals can submit nomination packages now through October 1st. For more information, visit http://www.aaalac.org/about/fellowship.cfm.
YerkesNational Primate Research Center
24th Annual Symposium on Nonhuman Primate Models for AIDS
October 4-7 2006 in Atlanta, GA
This meeting is the premier forum for the presentation and exchange of the most recent scientific advancements in AIDS research using nonhuman primate models. Expect to learn the latest findings in primate virology, immunology, pathogenesis, vaccines and therapeutics/genetics. All scientists interested in HIV/AIDS and related research are invited to participate. For more information and to register, visit http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=38ab0d87-2ebc-433f-b933-e95637cce1d0.
The AALAS National Meeting is in Salt Lake City October 15-19. Come visit the AMP exhibit at Booth 2001. AMP is also sponsoring two Special Topic Lectures: "Raising Voices, Saving Lives: Advocacy for Medical Progress" with John Young of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Laurie Pycroft and Iain Simpson of Pro-Test on October 18 (followed by a round table discussion), and "When Activism Crosses the Line: The FBI Perspective on Animal Rights Terrorism" by FBI Supervisory Special Agent Suzanne Solomon on Thursday, October 19.
MichiganState Universityand the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology
"Ethics and Animal Biotechnology: How Do We Plan for the Future?"
October 18, 2006 in Washington, D.C.
This public symposium will provide an overview of the ethical implications of creating and using cloned or genetically engineered animals in agriculture and of utilizing genetically engineered agricultural animals for biomedical or industrial purposes. Representatives of industry, academia, non-governmental organizations, religious groups, the media and policy leaders are encouraged to attend. Registration for this event is free, but pre-registration is required and space is limited. For more information, or to register, please visit: http://pewagbiotech.org/events/1018/.
SAVE THE DATE: November 16, 2006 in East Windsor, NJ
NJABR, NCABR, PSBR and USDA/Animal Care
Re-inspecting The Process: Five Years Later
OLAW, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, the University of Hawaii, and Tripler Army Medical Center
IACUC 101 and IACUC 201
November 8-9 in Honolulu, Hawaii
The first day is a traditional IACUC 101 course, which is a full day course that provides a basic yet comprehensive overview of the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the humane care and use of laboratory animals. The second day is a special IACUC 201 course, which takes the fundamentals of IACUC 101 and applies them to the process and mechanisms of ensuring compliance. Program information is posted at http://www.hjf.org/events/. Click on "View All" on the left side of the screen, scroll down to the "IACUC 101/201 PLUS" event, and click on "More Information" for specific information including agenda, travel and accommodations information, and online registration form.
2006 SCAW Conference
December 4-5: Addressing Current Animal Research and IACUC Issues- San Antonio
http://www.scaw.com <http://www.scaw.com/>
IACUC 101/201 events in 2007:
IACUC 101 - February 21 Oklahoma State University
IACUC 101 - March 25 PRIM&R meeting in San Diego
IACUC 101 - May 3 Morehouse School of Medicine
IACUC 101/201 July 17/18 BioReliance, Invitrogen Bioservices
IACUC 101 - August 29 University of Idaho
IACUC 101 - September 27 University of Cincinnati
For the most recent schedule and details, visit: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/iacuc101s.htm.
If you have a research-related event or resource that you would like to have listed in AMP News Service Digest, please send details to us at [email protected]
________________________________
Americans for Medical Progress
908 King Street, Suite 301 w Alexandria, VA 22314 w 703.836.9595
[email protected] w www.amprogress.org <http://www.amprogress.org/>
This e-mail is part of AMP News Service and is intended for use in accordance with the Fair Use clauses to the U.S. Copyright Act.
Unsubscribe from this mailing <http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M7194556514166795734148865> .
<http://omt.kintera.org/omt/740078548.gif>