Description
Provide veterinary care, welfare oversight, and regulatory compliance for laboratory animals used in research. Diagnose, treat, and prevent disease; guide protocols and surgical programs; and lead biosecurity, enrichment, and training to support humane, high-quality science.
- • Conduct routine clinical rounds to assess the health and welfare of laboratory animals.
- • Diagnose and treat illnesses or injuries; prescribe medications and perform surgery when indicated.
- • Provide veterinary oversight of anesthesia, analgesia, and perioperative care for research procedures.
- • Review and advise on IACUC protocols, humane endpoints, and refinements.
- • Ensure compliance with USDA, OLAW, AAALAC, and institutional animal care standards.
- • Establish and manage quarantine, biosecurity, and pathogen exclusion programs.
- • Collect and submit specimens for clinical and surveillance testing; interpret results.
- • Operate and interpret diagnostic imaging and point-of-care equipment.
- • Develop and implement SOPs for husbandry, procedures, and environmental enrichment.
- • Train and supervise researchers and animal care staff in handling and technique.
- • Conduct post-approval monitoring and facility inspections; document corrective actions.
- • Advise investigators on model selection, study design, and welfare impacts.
- • Perform necropsies and pathology evaluations to determine morbidity or mortality causes.
- • Lead investigations and responses to disease outbreaks and zoonotic risks.
- • Oversee preventive medicine programs, including vaccinations and parasite control.
- • Perform or oversee humane euthanasia in accordance with AVMA Guidelines.
- • Maintain medical records, controlled substances, and compliance documentation.
- • Participate in IACUC meetings, semiannual reviews, and AAALAC site visits.
- • Coordinate occupational health and safety risk assessments for animal work.
- • Provide emergency and after-hours veterinary support to research facilities.
- • Contribute to or support preclinical research; review adverse events and study outcomes.
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
