Institution Type

Private University

Is there a medical school?

Yes

Is this a land-grant institution?

No

Vivarium Director

Drs. Jennifer Pullium/Lee-Ronn Paluch/Ellen Levee

Program Director

Dr. Skye Rasmussen, Dr. Lee-Ronn Paluch, Dr. Stephanie Woods

Who to Contact

Skye Rasmussen, DVM, DACLAM, MBA

Address

435 East 30th Street, 304, New York, NY 10016

Phone

(646) 501-4620

Fax

(646) 501-8934

Email

Skye.rasmussen@nyulangone.org

Vivarium Information

Vivarium Name

Multiple vivaria located over three separate and distinct institutions

Is the facility AAALAC accredited?

Yes. All facilities are AAALAC accredited.

Describe management structure

The NYU-Regeneron training program consists of 3 institutions, NYU Langone Health (NYULH) (an academic medical center), NYU Washington Square (NYUWS) (an academic research facility specializing in neuroscience and behavior) and Regeneron (a large biopharmaceutical company). Each of the participating institutions within the NYU-Regeneron Training Program function independently and therefore have management structures distinctly unique from one another. In this residency program veterinary postdoctoral students will have the opportunity to both experience and appreciate organizational, managerial and operational differences between the three institutions and will gain first-hand insight into the operational/ managerial differences between academia and industry.

Describe the extent to which your facilities are centralized

In total the program will provide access to 11 + centralized vivaria.

Vivarium Square Feet

166,000+

Summarize the nature of the animal population and the predominant types of clinical activities

NYULH and NYUWS facilities combined support multiple species including mice, rats, singing mice, anoles, zebra finches, budgerigars, hamsters and gerbils, large animal species such as pigs, non-human primates and rabbits and a variety of aquatic species.

NYULH consists of 5 central and 30 satellite facilities comprising 47,554 + sq. ft. Notable features include three rodent barrier facilities, a large animal housing, surgical suite and necropsy area, ABLS- 2 and ABSL-3 housing, as well as satellite facilities supporting zebrafish and Xenopus species.


NYUWS consists of 2 central and 6 satellite facilities comprising 12,178 sq. ft. Notable features include 2 rodent barriers, 2 non-human primate housing facilities housing adult, and  juvenile and infant animals, respectively, a large animal surgical suite, and large animal diagnostic imaging equipment. NYU also provides veterinary oversight for the multi-species fish facility located at NYU-Tandon in Brooklyn NY.

NYULH and NYUWS also have access to ancillary supporting core facilities such as a Preclinical Imaging Laboratory which contains state-of-the art rodent and small animal imaging technologies small, a transgenic production facility, a rodent behavioral laboratory, and a large animal MRI facility.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s research animal facilities consist of five main facilities. The B5-3 Research Animal Facility (RAF) is the largest, 23,288 sq. ft. The B4-1 Mouse Production Facility (MPF) is 6,191 sq ft. The B4-2 Research Animal Facility (RAF) is 8,604 sq. ft. The Building 9 research animal vivarium is a new, self-contained state of the art facility with a net area of 56,000 square foot. This facility exclusively houses laboratory mice and includes rooms with exclusion barrier and conventional conditions, a quarantine room, procedure rooms, imaging suites, necropsy rooms, a large fully automated, efficient cage wash area with two tunnel washers, a rack washer, bedding dispensers and disposals, two large walk-in autoclave units, dedicated storage locations for food, bedding, and equipment and other research support areas. This facility provides space for the housing of over 100,000 mice either in individually ventilated caging systems or in shoeboxes in semi-rigid isolators. All of the facilities are under the management and oversight of Vivarium Operations. Supporting core facilities include small animal imaging, a transgenic production facility, isolator housing units and comprehensive surgical facilities.

Number of Veterinarians in program

12

Number of ACLAM Diplomates in program

9

Number of Boarded Pathologists

1

Number of Other Boarded Veterinary Specialists

0

Number of necropsies/week in the veterinary unit

10

Number of surgical cases/week in the veterinary unit

10

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

4

How many residents/trainees have completed this program?

5

Of these, how many have subsequently become ACLAM Diplomates?

4

In what year did the program accept its first trainee?

2014

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?

No

If yes, what degree(s)?

N/A

Which departments most commonly grant degree(s)?

N/A

Give an overview of this program, describing its particular strengths and any unique aspects that are not addressed in any of the other sections

New York University Washington Square (NYUWS), NYU Langone Health (NYULH) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. are proud to support an American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) recognized three year post-doctoral training program in Laboratory Animal Medicine. The combined NYU-Regeneron training program is led by nine ACLAM boarded veterinarians and three ACVP boarded veterinary pathologists While rotating between the three supporting institutions veterinary postdocs will be exposed to a diversity of species, including primary, secondary, and tertiary species as defined in the ACLAM Role Delineation Document. Veterinary postdocs will also get to experience and appreciate organizational, managerial and operational differences between the three institutions. The combination of experiences ensures that postdocs are provided with a dynamic training experience that will help prepare them for the many career paths available in laboratory animal medicine.

To successfully meet all training objectives the NYU-Regeneron training program is divided into four fundamental components. Scheduled didactic training, the first component, which occurs weekly throughout the 3-year training program. Didactic training sessions are designed to provide trainees with the knowledge base needed to obtain Diplomate status in the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.

All clinical rotations are supervised by a clinical veterinarian or ACLAM-boarded faculty member. Laboratory animal clinical training occurs throughout the program on a rotation basis and encompasses anesthesia, surgery, pre- and postoperative care, necropsy, pathology, preventive medicine, husbandry, enrichment, and behavior. Clinical rotations are divided equally among NYU Langone, NYU, and Regeneron, with each institution offering a different clinical focus. As an example, Regeneron provides an exposure to large-scale rodent production, facility design, and management training while highlighting the biotech/pharma experience. As a clinical supplement, six additional clinical weeks are provided for elective rotations, which can be coordinated within the program or at program-approved externship locations.

Regulatory training is the third component of the training program. Postdoctoral fellows are expected to participate in at least one monthly IACUC meeting and will be assigned to participate either as an alternate member or in an observational role throughout the duration of the 3-year program. Postdocs will be expected to routinely review IACUC protocols and to discuss reviews with assigned veterinary IACUC mentors. Postdocs may also be asked to participate in semiannual inspections, regulatory and compliance meetings, and IACUC subcommittees.

The fourth and final component of the NYU-Regeneron training program is the research rotation. During the research rotation postdoctoral fellows are allocated a period of 48 weeks to design and successfully execute a research project. An ACLAM-certified member of the program faculty will serve as the primary research mentor, or alternatively research mentorship will be assigned to a suitable faculty member willing and qualified to oversee the research project.

Describe any unique research interests of your faculty

NYULH (an academic medical center) and NYUWS research, teaching, and testing programs include but are not limited to: neuroscience and behavior, microbiology, immunology, cancer, cardiology, surgery, diagnostic imaging, and endocrinology. The NYU School of Medicine, a division of NYULH, ranked No. 2 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 “Best Graduate Schools” rankings for research.

Regeneron is a leading science-based, fully integrated biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions. Regeneron markets medicines for eye diseases and colorectal cancer, among other conditions, and has product candidates in development in areas of high unmet medical need such as hypercholesterolemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma. Most recently, Regeneron successfully developed an antibody cocktail against Ebola and against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Give a few literature citations of publications completed by trainees during their tenure in this program

Steinbach JR, MacGuire J, Chang S, Dierks E, and Roble GS. Assessment of pre-operative maropitant citrate use in macaque neurosurgical procedures. J Med Primatol. 2018 June;47(3):178-184.

 

Thurman CE, Muthuswamy A, Klinger MM, and Roble GS. Safety evaluation of a 405-nm LED device for direct antimicrobial treatment of the murine brain. Comp Med. 2019 Aug;69(4):283-290.

Thurman CE, Rasmussen S, and Prestia KA. Effect of three euthanasia methods on serum yield and serum cortisol concentration in Zebrafish. JAALAS. 2019 Nov;58(6):823-828.

Winn AA, Prestia KA, and Peneyra SM. Testing alternative surface disinfection agents for Zebrafish embryos. JAALAS. 2021 Sept;60(5):510-518.

Tierce RK, Winn AA, Albers MA, Poueymirou WT, Levee EM, Woods SE, and Reddyjarugu B. Detection and prevention of Proteus mirabilis in immunodeficient mice. JAALAS. 2022 May;61(3):256-269.

Where will vacancies be advertised?

ASLAP, VIRMP, ACLAM

What month does the program begin?

July

Living and Working

Starting Annual Salary

$60,000

To what extent is travel to meetings, etc. paid for?

one meeting per year

Is individual health insurance provided?

Yes

Is family health insurance provided?

Yes

Describe any fees or tuition

None

Describe the residents' responsibilities for night, weekend, and holiday coverage

Resident will be responsible for participating in a rotating night and weekend on-call schedule in support of NYU Washington Square and NYU Langone Health research vivaria.

How many annual vacation days are given?

21

How many annual sick days are given?

Sick time is supported in accordance with NYU Langone Health HR policy.

Briefly describe the community

NYU Washington Square and NYU Langone Health are centrally located in the heart of NYC within walking distance of parks, boutique gyms, restaurants, theaters, and a variety of public transportation options. Regeneron is located roughly 45 minutes outside of NYC in the historic town of Tarrytown, New York. Bucolic Tarrytown was Washington Irving’s inspiration for the town of Sleepy Hollow in his famous short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

 

Subsidized housing within NYC is an available option for postdoctoral candidates. Trainees will be provided travel subsidy for travel between New York City and Regeneron. Free NYU public transportation is available between NYULH and NYUWS locations.

Institutional, facility, or training program web site

https://med.nyu.edu/research/office-science-research/regulatory-compliance-resources/division-comparative-medicine/veterinary-postdoctoral-training-program-laboratory-animal-medicine


Rev. 3/23/23