The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill currently has approximately 740 active animal use protocols for which approximately 280 faculty members serve as principal investigators. Animals are used by faculty in the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health and Pharmacy, in the College of Arts and Sciences in the Departments of Biology, Chemistry and Psychology and in the Institute of Marine Science (IMS) located in Morehead City, NC. Thus research involving animals varies greatly but with a large emphasis on genetic models. 

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) is ranked fifth among leading private and public research universities for federal funding devoted to research and development with over $1 billion reached in annual research expenditure. Notable animal research support services housed at UNC include a Mutant Mouse Regional Resource Center (MMRRC), transgenic or gene-targeted Animal Models Core, National Gnotobiotic Rodent Resource Center, Systems Genetics Core providing Collaborative Cross mice, Behavioral Phenotyping Core, rodent and large animal surgical cores, Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC), Zebrafish Aquaculture Core Facility, Pathology Services Core, and Institute of Marine Science to name a few. The Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM) employs more than 190 individuals, including 10 ACLAM- or ACVP-boarded faculty veterinarians, 3 residents in Laboratory Animal Medicine, 3 residents in Comparative Pathology, 10 veterinary technicians, and 2 enrichment technicians.

Clinical Training: This program provides an in-depth experience in all aspects of clinical laboratory animal medicine (LAM). Trainees spend 60-70% of their time on clinical rotations, which are mentored by DCM faculty. These 4 month-long rotations provide extensive clinical experience in rodent, aquatic, and USDA covered species with specific emphasis on management of large rodent colonies, USDA covered species colony management, large animal surgical models, and exotic (non-mammalian) species medicine. Diagnostic facilities include on-site hematology and clinical chemistry, whole body and dental radiology, and ultrasound with access to advanced imaging facilities (e.g., BRIC). Trainees work closely with the Pathology faculty and Comparative Pathology Residents apart of the Joint Comparative Medicine Training Program between UNC and NC State University (NCSU). On call duty is shared between trainees and clinical LAM faculty. Trainees are involved in IACUC protocol and amendment review continually throughout residency. Trainees participate in routine teaching opportunities such as actively engage student externs and provide additional support for the DCM Training Program’s Hands-On Classes.

Didactic Training: UNC Chapel Hill’s LAM Residency Training Program participates in the Research Triangle Laboratory Animal Training Program (RTLATP), which provides didactic training in core material for 4 hours per week. RTLATP is a regional didactic program involving the LAM residency programs at UNC, Duke University, NCSU, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Lectures are given by a combination of current trainees, RTLATP faculty, and invited speakers with expertise in particular areas from across the state of North Carolina. Required subject matter, based on the ACLAM Role Delineation document, rotates on a two-year cycle, and includes seminars covering LAM topics, journal club, and discussion of regulations that govern animal research. Trainees also participate and attend Comparative Medicine Rounds (monthly) and Comparative Pathology Conference (monthly). In addition trainees may take courses in statistics and the responsible conduct of research, as well as other courses depending on the trainee’s interests. Other opportunities for training include the following: clinical rounds and staff meetings, non-LAM clinical and research seminars held at the institution, including resident seminars and other Continuing Education courses offered, weekly slide set review at NIEHS (review of various training modules available through ACLAM and CL Davis), seminars and courses offered by the North Carolina Academy of Laboratory Animal Medicine (NCALAM), NIEHS courses, such as Rodent Pathology, the North Carolina Workshop in Laboratory Animal Medicine (formerly the CL Davis course) at the NCSU-Collège of Veterinary Medicine, courses offered by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, and training classes offered at national meetings (AALAS, AVMA and ACLAM).

Research Training: Residents are required to spend at least 25% effort in independent and/or collaborative research. Trainees are expected to conduct a hypothesis-driven research project under the mentorship of a DCM faculty member, with the goal of having at least one research article accepted in a peer-reviewed journal in time to achieve ACLAM boards eligibility during the third year of the residency program. Trainees carry out all aspects of the project, including experimental design, IACUC protocol submission, data collection and analysis, and manuscript writing and revision. Trainees typically have a 4 month-long research rotation during the second year of the program to allow them to focus on completing their research project and often present their work at local and national AALAS meetings.

Whitaker, J., S. S. Moy, V. Godfrey, J. Nielsen, D. Bellinger, and J. Bradfield. "Effects of Cage Size and Enrichment on Reproductive Performance and Behavior in C57bl/6tac Mice." [In eng]. Lab Anim (NY) 38, no. 1 (Jan 2009): 24-34.

Tubbs, J. T., G. E. Kissling, G. S. Travlos, D. R. Goulding, J. A. Clark, A. P. King-Herbert, and T. L. Blankenship-Paris. "Effects of Buprenorphine, Meloxicam, and Flunixin Meglumine as Postoperative Analgesia in Mice." [In eng]. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci 50, no. 2 (Mar 2011): 185-91.

Zegre Cannon, C., G. E. Kissling, D. R. Goulding, A. P. King-Herbert, and T. Blankenship-Paris. "Analgesic Effects of Tramadol, Carprofen or Multimodal Analgesia in Rats Undergoing Ventral Laparotomy." [In eng]. Lab Anim (NY) 40, no. 3 (Mar 2011): 85-93.

Rogala AR, Morgan AP, Christensen AM, Gooch TJ, Bell TA, Miller DR, Godfrey VL, de Villena FP. The Collaborative Cross as a resource for modeling human disease: CC011/Unc, a new mouse model for spontaneous colitis. Mamm Genome. 2014 Apr;25(3-4):95-108.

George NM, Whitaker J, Vieira G, Geronimo JT, Bellinger DA, Fletcher CA, Garner JP. Antioxidant Therapies for Ulcerative Dermatitis: A Potential Model for Skin Picking Disorder. PLoS One. 2015 Jul 13;10(7):e0132092.

Churchill SR, Morgan DL, Kissling GE, Travlos GS, King-Herbert AP. Impact of Environmental Enrichment Devices on NTP In Vivo Studies. Toxicol Pathol. 2016 Feb;44(2):233-45.

Kapoor P, Hayes YO, Jarrell LT, Bellinger DA, Thomas RD, Lawson GW, Arkema JD, Fletcher CA,  Nielsen JN.  Evaluation of Anthelmintic Resistance and Exhaust Air Dust PCR as a Diagnostic Tool in Mice Enzootically Infected with Aspiculuris tetraptera.   JAALAS 2017. 56(3): 1-17.

Wimsey LE, Wharton KN, Giles JM, Nielsen JN, Knapp DJ.  Effect of Individually Ventilated Bi-Level Caging on Anxiety-Like Behavior and Breeding Performance in Rats.  Research and Reviews:  Journal of Veterinary Sciences. 2017 3(1):16-24.

Giles JM, Whitaker JW, Moy SS, Fletcher CA. Effect of Environmental Enrichment on Aggression in BALB/cJ and BALB/cByJ Mice Monitored by Using an Automated System. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2018 Apr 18.

Estes JM, Hayes YO, Freeman ZT, Fletcher CA, Baxter VK. Effectiveness of Various Floor Contamination Control Methods in Reducing Environmental Organic Load and Maintaining Colony Health in Rodent Facilities. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2019. 58(3):329-337.

Galex IA, Gallant CM, D'Avignon N, Kuchenbrod LM, Fletcher CA, Rogala AR. Evaluation of Effective and Practical Euthanasia Methods for Larval African Clawed Frogs (Xenopus laevis). J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2020 May 1;59(3):269-274.

Estes JM, Altemara ML, Crim MJ, Fletcher CA, Whitaker JW. Behavioral and Reproductive Effects of Environmental Enrichment and Pseudoloma neurophilia infection on Adult Zebrafish (Danio rerio). J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2021 May 1;60(3):249-258.

Ho JP*, Galex IA*, Sadeghi NB, Weledji N, Cabello Bermudez SI, Mitchell BA, Bush DM, Yap E, Davis NC, Catalino MP, Godfrey V, Nielsen JN, Lee YZ, Sasaki-Adams DM. Rabbit Elastase Aneurysm: Imaging and Histology Correlates for Inflammation and Healing. World Neurosurg. 2021 Apr;148:e242-e251.

Webb DR, Churchill SR, Hill GD, McGee CA, Shi M, King-Herbert AP, Blankenship-Paris TL. Effects of Buprenorphine, Chlorhexidine, and Low-level Laser Therapy on Wound Healing in Mice. Comp Med. 2021 Jun 1;71(3):191-202.