Introduction

INTRODUCTION
  • Veterinarians play a central role in biomedical (including veterinary), wildlife and farm animal research. The comprehensive nature of veterinary training equips veterinary graduates to handle a diverse range of professional responsibilities relevant to the use of animals for scientific purposes and animal welfare. In the Indian context, veterinarians in scientific institutions may be divided into two main categories: those involved in the production, medicine and surgery of animals used for scientific purposes; and those involved on Institutional Animal Ethics Committees, and, of course, there are many veterinarians whose duties involve elements of both categories.
  • The broad range of duties in the first category includes management of laboratory animal production and maintenance colonies, operation of preventative medicine programs, clinical medicine, provision of research support, maintenance of quarantine facilities, operation of in-house pathology programs, experimental surgery, and involvement in animal house design. For those veterinarians involved with Institutional Animal Ethics Committees their role is to promote animal welfare and regulatory compliance duties include review of proposals to use animals for scientific purposes, the minimisation of pain and distress, the monitoring of animals in research and teaching, the administration of animal ethics committees, provision of advice to the institution, provision of advice to researchers, provision of consultation and advice concerning compliance with relevant legislation and the Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes, and training of research and technical personnel.
  • Veterinarians also play a major role in the development of institutional and regulatory policy, codes of practice, regulation and monitoring.
  • Although principally outside the scope of this text, qualification as a veterinarian also provides a strong base for veterinary graduates to embark upon a scientific research career in such diverse fields as immunology, molecular biology, physiology, biochemistry, virology, pathology, bacteriology, parasitology, animal management, wildlife research, agricultural animal research, and exotic disease research, and indeed there are veterinary graduates currently working as investigators in all these fields.
Last modified: Monday, 4 June 2012, 8:58 AM