Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Medicine/

L’association canadienne de la médecine des animaux de laboratoire

2023


CALAM Sessions at CALAS this year were once again a huge success!

Our CALAM hosted sessions are usually a hit - and this year was no exception. We kicked off the Monday afternoon with a fantastic Luncheon session, delivered by Dr. Momar Ndao, DVM, MSc, PhD, entitled Are Humans Really the Dominant Species on Earth?

Here is the session description if you missed the session:

During the past few years, increased awareness of infectious diseases has led to newly recognized and emerging pathogens. However, these pathogens thrive because they have many ways of fooling our immune systems. The spectrum of clinical features is broad, ranging from silent infection to fulminant. Diagnosing some microorganisms remains difficult, and the consequences of a missed diagnosis can be serious in humans and animals. Humans remain the perfect host for most pathogens!




Our afternoon parallel sessions were as follows:

Cotton Rats 101
Presented by: Carla Noreen

Cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) are susceptible to a wide variety of human pathogens and are useful models for human respiratory infections, immunology and vaccine development. They are usually housed singly due to intra-species aggression, and are generally jumpy, aggressive and difficult to handle. This behaviour, as well as their propensity to slough the skin from their tail during handling, necessitates the use of anesthesia for most procedures. We have used cotton rats at our facility for over 20 years and have developed several devices and techniques that have served us well over that time. We will review the literature and also share our experience and knowledge of cotton rat husbandry, handling and procedures. We hope this will stimulate an exchange of ideas and information amongst other cotton rat users in an effort to refine the care of this challenging species.

What's New in the Marmoset Model at the RI-MUHC
Presented by: Anne Pellegrin, Ioan Cozma, BA, A.A.S, TSAC/CAHT

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a widely used Non Human Primate (NHP) animal model in Biomedical research. Its small size, fast growth and ease of breeding have made it an ideal model for neuroscientific research worldwide and here at the Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC). Our colony was created mainly for developing transgenic marmoset models for neuroscientific research such as Parkinson’s and Autism. The scientific team is dedicated to developing innovative techniques to produce these transgenic marmosets. While the research team continues to refine experimental procedures, the veterinary care team also strives to refine everything surrounding these procedures including sedation, anesthesia, analgesia as well as certain surgical methods used during the study. This presentation will give you an overview of the common marmoset, our breeding colony as well as a brief overview of the various procedures we have refined and that regularly take place in our facility including Laparoscopic Oocyte Pick Up (LOPU), vasectomies, Embryo Transfers (laparoscopically and trans-vaginally), pharmaco-kinetic studies, Health Exams. We hope to see you and be able to share knowledge with you!






The 12th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences is coming to Canada!

Registration is now open, so don't miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend


The World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences (WC series) was established by the Alternatives Congress Trust in Baltimore, USA in 1993 to bring together multidisciplinary stakeholders from academia, industry, government, and non-profit sectors under one roof to advance the 3Rs—to reduce, refine, and replace the use of animals in the life sciences. Since 1993, the WC series has been held biennially or triennially across the continents from the Americas to Europe and the Far East. This iconic series is coming back to the True North in 2023! We gratefully acknowledge that WC12 will be held in Niagara Falls, on the Traditional Territory of the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee Peoples of Canada.

Details:

Dates: August 27 - 31, 2023
Venue:
Niagara Falls Convention Centre
Location: Niagara Falls, ON


For questions contact helpdesk@klinkhamergroup.com



The AALAS national meeting will be in Salt Lake City, Utah this year from October 22-26!

Each fall since 1950, the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science has held its annual National Meeting. During the five days of the meeting, members and nonmembers come together to enjoy the workshops, lectures, poster sessions, and exhibits. The program is designed to have topics relevant to the entire membership. Exhibitors have an opportunity to interact with AALAS members from the academic community, research institutions, government organizations, and commercial companies. The AALAS National Meeting is the largest gathering in the world of professionals concerned with the production, care, and use of laboratory animals.




2024




JOIN US FOR OUR LUNCHEON SESSION, ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, AND SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM AT THE CALAS/ACSAL SYMPOSIUM IN SASKATOON!

MORE DETAILS TO BE RELEASED IN THE NEW YEAR


The CALAS/ACSAL Annual Symposium is taking place June 22 - 25, 2024, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan at the Saskatoon's Arts & Convention Centre.

The Symposium is a unique 2-day event, 2 dedicated days of programming with networking and social events, a Trade Show consisting of 50+ exhibit booths, dedicated Trainers’ Lunch, 2 Keynote presentations from highly sought-after speakers, over 30 concurrent sessions and optional 2 full days of pre-symposium hands-on workshops. The Symposium regularly attracts 300 - 500 participants from across Canada and internationally.

The theme for the Annual Symposium is “Lighting the Path to Discovery”.

You won't want to miss your opportunity to make valuable contacts, learn new techniques on a national scale, develop relationships, and secure your success in the CALAS/ACSAL Community!

Registration information will be released early in 2024, so stay tuned for more details!


Included with your Full Symposium Registration

  • 10 CE credits 
  • Meals 
  • Access to vendors on the Trade Show Floor and view the Poster Boards
  • Attend the Opening Reception, Symposium Closing Party with Awards Presentation to celebrate award recipients and network with colleagues 


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