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Research Reproducibility Starts with Animal Model Wellness
Dr. Ken Henderson joins the GetReal! podcast to discuss animal welfare
How can we improve upon questionable research outcomes?
It starts with healthy research animal models. The wellbeing of your laboratory animals is vital to your research. The poor or inconsistent health of laboratory animals poses uncontrolled research variables – the enemies of good science.
In the episode “Let’s Shake On It!” on the GetReal! podcast, Dr. Ken Henderson, Charles River's Senior Director for Laboratory Services, shares a candid and insightful conversation with host Dr. Cindy Buckmaster* about how our commitment to the care and wellbeing of our research animals can alleviate the reproducibility crisis in research.
They also discuss the recent development of PathogenBinder®, a more sensitive, standardized, and sentinel-free PCR-based pathogen detection system and how it is a foundational component of our commitment to the 3Rs of research. These are guidelines for progressive changes in animal research through continuous reduction, refinement, and replacement methods guided by our authentic, collaborative responsibility. As technology allows us to reduce the number of animals in research, it is our responsibility to stop using soiled-bedding sentinels in favor of adopting a sentinel-free pathogen detection method.
Listen to the full conversation:
* Dr. Cindy Buckmaster is the Director for Public Outreach with the National Animal Interest Alliance, the Past-Chair and Spokesperson of Americans for Medical Progress, and the President of the Texas Society for Biomedical Research.