The Office of Animal Welfare, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and Office of Laboratory Animal Resources extend their appreciation to its research faculty and staff, Dr. Clay Marsh and Ming Lei for their valuable participation during the recent site accreditation visit by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International.
Accreditation by AAALAC International is recognized globally as the gold standard for ethical animal care and use in teaching and research.
The site visitors identified no mandatory corrections, offering only a few recommendations for improvement — specifically in three areas of program documentation and one area concerning safety.
The site visit team commended the high level of engagement demonstrated by WVU research personnel, while praising the quality of the research infrastructure that supports the University’s mission.
A special acknowledgment was given to attorney Darrel “Dan” Ringer, the IACUC non-affiliated member who is currently serving in his 40th year on the committee. Site visitors noted Ringer as one of the most outstanding representatives of community perspectives on animal research they have ever encountered.
A recommendation for full reaccreditation will be submitted to the AAALAC Council in September.
The IACUC will share the outcome as soon as the University receives official notification.