Animal Research
New Staff Training
All researchers new to Columbia University will go to RASCAL’s training center to complete the online course (TC0900), entitled “Introduction to the Institute of Comparative Medicine”. This replaces ICM’s portion of the “Rodent Orientation” lecture. Here is the link to the RASCAL Training Center - https://www.rascal.columbia.edu/servlet/edu.columbia.rascal.presentation.tc.servlets.TCMainServlet
Separately, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) will give a lecture entitled “Laboratory Animal Regulatory Training” to all researchers new to Columbia University. Please e-mail the IACUC at iacuc@columbia.edu for further information regarding their training lecture.
Species-Specific Training
Once the “Introduction to the Institute of Comparative Medicine” course is complete, new researchers must complete the species-specific training course(s) available on RASCAL’s training center.
Hands-On Training
After completing the species-specific online training, all researchers must then receive hands-on facility training. This training should be scheduled by e-mailing the respective building supervisor for potential dates and times (see ICM website). Please note that if the researcher will be working with mice on the CUIMC campus, then the “CUIMC Barrier Training” course must FIRST be completed before scheduling the hands-on facility training with the building supervisor.
Registration for hands-on species-specific wetlabs and surgical wetlabs are available on the ICM website - http://vesta.cumc.columbia.edu/icm/wetlab.php
Workforce Health & Safety Clearance
Please remember that Workforce Health & Safety clearance is required before working with animals and before any species-specific wet lab or hands-on training can commence.
Once the above sequence is complete and the researcher is approved on an IACUC protocol, access to work in the animal facility can be granted.
Dr. Yelena Akelina also should be included in all the animal protocols as a Staff Researcher. Please keep in mind that it could take up to 3-6 months from writing to receive an approval of your animal use protocol. So give to yourself a lot of time. For any questions regarding animal research please contact:
Yelena Akelina
e-mail: ya67@columbia.edu