Louisiana State University

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Institution Type Public University
Is there a medical school? No
Is this a land-grant institution? Yes
Vivarium Director Dr. David G. Baker
Program Director Dr. Rhett W. Stout
Who to Contact Dr. Rhett W. Stout
Address School of Veterinary Medicine, Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA  70803
Phone (225) 578-9641
Fax (225) 578-9649
Email rstout1@lsu.edu

Vivarium Information

Vivarium Name Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine
Is the facility AAALAC accredited? Yes
Describe management structure 2-5 Administratively distinct vivaria
Describe the extent to which your facilities are centralized Animals housed in 2-5 separate locations
Vivarium Square Feet 50,000
Summarize the nature of the animal population and the predominant types of clinical activities

Veterinary school:dogs, cats, mice, rats,rabbits gerbils,swine, horses, cattle, and fish. University vivarium: fish, amphibians, reptiles, psittacine birds, cats, rabbits, hamsters, and rats.

Clinical activities include management of spontaneous medical conditions, surgical procedures, sentinel program, and routine examinations and dental prophylaxis.

Animals are housed in ABSL 1, ABSL 2, and ABSL 3 facilities.
Number of Veterinarians in program 2
Number of ACLAM Diplomates in program 2
Number of Boarded Pathologists 9
Number of Other Boarded Veterinary Specialists 30
Number of necropsies/week in the veterinary unit 5
Number of surgical cases/week in the veterinary unit 1

Training Program Details

Is this program recognized by ACLAM? Yes
Does this program participate in the Veterinary Internship & Residency Matching Program (VIRMP)? Yes
Number of concurrent residents 2
How many residents/trainees have completed this program? 16
Of these, how many have subsequently become ACLAM Diplomates? 14
In what year did the program accept its first trainee? 1987
How many years are required to complete this program (residency only)? 3
Is formal coursework offered? Yes
Is a degree program associated with this residency? Yes
If yes, what degree(s)? MS
Which departments most commonly grant degree(s)? Degrees offered through all departments in the Veterinary School
Give an overview of this program, describing its particular strengths and any unique aspects that are not addressed in any of the other sections Currently, two different programs are offered.
1. Our traditional program is 3 years with a Master's Degree. The resident/graduate student provides clinical care for animals in a Veterinary School and University. These diverse environments provide opportunities to interact with a wide variety of animal species and research projects. Additionally, the resident spends at least 8 weeks at local primate centers and has the option of spending time at a local Medical School facility.

2. Residents with a prior Master's or PhD can enroll in a 2 year non-degree program. Prior first author publications are reviewed and if none meet ACLAM board requirements the resident will undertake a mentored research experience (non-degree) with the goal of at least 1 first author publication suitable for ACLAM board eligibility.

Weekly Colloquium is held which involves clinical rounds, didactic training, discussion, and journal review. Residents from other programs, as well as laboratory animal practitioners from surrounding institutions studying for boards, participate leading to a synergistic expansion of their laboratory animal knowledge base.
Describe any unique research interests of your faculty A variety of research opportunities exist within the served institutions.

Opportunities at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center offer the unique opportunity of working at one of the premier human nutritional research centers in the world. Most of the research conducted at the Pennington Center is at the molecular level.

Opportunities at the School of Veterinary Medicine include infectious diseases with human and/or animal pathogens with a strong emphasis in virology, parasitology, and vector borne pathogens. Other strong programs include cancer biology, inhalation toxicology, and stem cell research.
Give a few literature citations of publications completed by trainees during their tenure in this program 1. Bova J.F. et al. 2015. Bupivacaine mandibular nerve block affects intraoperative blood pressure and heart rate in a Yucatan miniature swine mandibular condylectomy model: a pilot study. J Invest Surg. 28(1):32-9. doi: 10.3109/08941939.2014.971207. Epub 2014 Nov 13.
2. Pepping J.K. et al, 2013. Designer adiponectin receptor agonist stabilizes metabolic function and prevents brain injury caused by HIV protease inhibitors. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 9(3):388-98. doi: 10.1007/s11481-014-9529-1. Epub 2014 Feb 23.
3. Pepping J.K. et al, 2013. NOX2 deficiency attenuates markers of adiposopathy and brain injury induced by high-fat diet. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 304(4):E392-404. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00398.2012. Epub 2012 Dec 11.
4. Doyle L.A. et al. 2009. Physiological and behavioral effects of social introduction on adult male rhesus macaques. Am. J. Primatol., 70(6) 542-550
5. Lewis S.D. et al, 2008. Toll-like receptor 7 is not necessary for retroviral neuropathogenesis but does contribute to virus-induced neuroinflammation. J. Neurovirol, Nov. 17 : 1-11 August 3, 2009
6. Fahrig BM et al, 2006. Characterization and cooled storage of semen from corn snakes (Elaphe guttata). J. Zoo Wild. Med., 38(1) 7-12
7. Crisler-Roberts, R. et al. 2005. Evaluation of Helicobacter hepaticus bacterial shedding in fostered and sex-segregated C57BL/6 mice. Comp Med 55(6)515-522
8. Bates M.C and Tiersch T.R. 2005, Preliminary assessment of refrigerated and frozen storage of sperm of coppernose bluegill Lepomis macrochirus purpurescens. North American Journal of Aquaculture, 67: 187-192
9. Singletary K.B. et al. 2003. Optimal age at fostering for derivation of Helicobacter hepaticus-free mice. Comp Med 53:259-264.
Where will vacancies be advertised? JAVMA, ASLAP, VIRMP
What month does the program begin? July

Living and Working

Starting Annual Salary $37,000
To what extent is travel to meetings, etc. paid for? Generally one trip to the Annual AALAS meeting is paid for by the program.
Is individual health insurance provided? Yes
Is family health insurance provided? No
Describe any fees or tuition Tuition is waived for graduate school, other fees required by the university are not covered.
Describe the residents' responsibilities for night, weekend, and holiday coverage The residents share in emergency duty for the laboratory animal medicine program. Calls at night and on weekends are rare.
How many annual vacation days are given? 20
How many annual sick days are given? 10
Briefly describe the community Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana. City population is > 500,000. There are two major Universities (LSU and Southern) in the city.
Institutional, facility, or training program web site http://www.lsu.edu/vetmed/dlam/residency_program.php