The Residency and Graduate Training Program in Laboratory Animal Medicine provides clinical services and veterinary care to the centrally administered support service for animal research and teaching programs at the City of Hope/Beckman Research Institute (COH/BRI) Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM) Animal Resources Center (ARC) and University of California (USC) Department of Animal Resources (DAR) animal facilities.

The COH/BRI animal care and use program supports approximately 75 principal investigators and over 220 approved protocols involving the use of animals.
The major types of studies include:
Cancer research (mice, rats, and rabbits)
Diabetes and metabolism (mice and rats)
Transgenics, knock-outs, and gene therapy (mice)
Immunology (antibody production in mice and rabbits)
Molecular biochemistry and genetics (mice, rabbits, and chickens)
Radiation research (mice and rats)
Neuroscience (mice and rats)
Stem Cell Biology (mice)

The USC animal care and use program supports 264 principal investigators with approximately 760 approved protocols involving the use of animals. Research and teaching programs include the following disciplines:
Cancer and cancer therapeutics (mice and rats)
Cardiovascular disease and surgery (mice, rats, and swine)
Diabetes (mice, rats, and dogs)
Alcoholism (mice and rats)
Ophthalmology (mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, and nonhuman primates)
Genetics and gene therapy (mice and rats)
Immunology (mice and rats)
Biochemistry and metabolism (mice, rats, and birds)
Neuroscience and behavior (mice, rats, hamsters, rabbits, amphibians, reptiles, and birds)
Gerontology (mice and rats)
Craniofacial development and molecular biology (mice and rats)
Pharmacology (mice, rats, rabbits, and amphibians)
Exercise physiology (mice and rats)
Gastrointestinal surgery (mice, rats, and swine)
Physical therapy (mice, rats, and rabbits)
Orthopedic surgery (mice, rats, and rabbits)
Obstetrics and gynecology (mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and swine)
Medical devices and laparascopic surgery (swine)
Vascular surgery devices (swine)
Advanced trauma life support (swine)
Marine biology (fish)

The City of Hope/Beckman Research Institute (COH/BRI) Graduate School of Biological Sciences and the Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM) Animal Resources Center (ARC) in conjunction with the University of Southern California (USC) Department of Animal Resources (DAR) offer the COH/BRI and USC Residency and Graduate Training Program in Laboratory Animal Medicine. The 3-year residency training component (primarily at USC - laboratory animal medicine resident) and 5-year combined residency and graduate training component (primarily at COH/BRI - laboratory animal medicine fellow) are designed to support preparation toward American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) board certification and to prepare individuals for research careers in the biomedical sciences and comparative medicine research.

Residency training includes clinical laboratory animal medicine, laboratory animal resources and facilities management, comparative and diagnostic laboratory animal pathology, and methods and practice of biomedical research. Laboratory animal medicine residents/fellows are centered in the DAR/DCM and scheduled primary clinical rotations through the COH/BRI and USC animal facilities. Graduate training consists of a combination of graduate course work, laboratory rotations, seminars, journal club, and scholarly research leading to the PhD in Biological Sciences. Graduate work is administered through the COH/BRI Graduate School of Biological Sciences and provides ample opportunities for specific training in the development of biomedical models and research methodology as well as in other areas important for ACLAM board certification. The training program also includes a full spectrum of clinical rounds, seminars, and special projects pertaining to laboratory animal medicine. Potential candidates must have a DVM/VMD or equivalent degree.

The City of Hope and Beckman Research Institute, an innovative biomedical research, treatment, and educational institution, is dedicated to the prevention and cure of cancer and other life-threatening diseases, guided by a compassionate patient-centered philosophy and supported by a national foundation of humanitarian philanthropy.

The City of Hope (National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center) is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics, and one of the world’s leading research and treatment centers for cancer and other life-threatening diseases, including diabetes and HIV/AIDS. The City of Hope Graduate School of Biological Sciences grants a PhD degree in Biological Sciences with emphasis in chemical, molecular, and cellular biology. Research being conducted spans the range from the most fundamental studies of molecular structure through patient care and treatment.

City of Hope's Beckman Research Institute is one of the nation's premier centers for pioneering biomedical research. Founded in 1951, it was endowed by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation in 1983 and renamed the Beckman Research Institute-the first of only five Beckman institutes in the United States.
The mission of City of Hope's Beckman Research Institute is to support innovative and creative research and to educate future scientists in the biological sciences. The collegial atmosphere and close interaction between Beckman scientists and City of Hope physicians provides unique opportunities for translational research. In this stimulating environment, basic science may be quickly developed into life-saving treatments or cures.

Beckman scientists undertake fundamental investigations in molecular genetics and cellular biology. They study normal and abnormal biological processes, including mutagenesis and DNA repair, cell differentiation and early development, inter- and intracellular signaling, RNA processing, and genome structure. Scientists at the Beckman Research Institute have achieved major advances in recombinant DNA technology, monoclonal antibodies, gene therapy, and radioimmunotherapy.

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2) TGF-â activates Akt kinase through a microRNA-dependent amplifying circuit targeting PTEN. Kato M, Putta S, Wang M, Yuan H, Lanting L, Nair I, Gunn A, Nakagawa Y, Shimano H, Todorov I, Rossi JJ, Natarajan R. Nature Cell Biology, 2009 Jun; 11(7): 881-889.

3) Effects of Cholesterol tagged small interfering RNAs targeting 12/15-lipoxygenase on parameters of diabetic nephropathy in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes. Yuan H, Lanting L, Xu ZG, Li SL, Swiderski P, Putta S, Jonnalagadda M, Kato M, Natarajan R. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2008 Aug; 295(2):F605-17.