This workshop will explore and characterize aspects of the complex scientific, ethical, and occupational health issues associated with human-animal interactions (HAI) in the biomedical research environment. The workshop will consider the full range of people who are involved in animal care and use in biomedical research settings. Workshop discussions will include potential workplace impacts and relevant tools, processes, and lessons learned from existing programs focused on the impacts of HAI in research settings. The workshop will be webcast and a Proceedings will be published following the event.
This workshop is sponsored by the ILAR Roundtable. We are particularly grateful to: NIH Events Management, NIH Office of Research Services/Division of Veterinary Resources (ORS/DVR), NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), and NIH Office of Animal Care and Use (OACU), as well as AALAS for their additional support for this event.
Context:
Human-animal interactions have major significance for the animal sciences and veterinary medical sciences. The nature of this work is complex, and there are individuals in roles at all levels of engagement in this system who have a wide variety of interchanges with animals. Given the scope of human interactions with animals in the biomedical research setting and based on the current understanding of human-animal interactions, there is a broad range of potential impacts on occupational health for many individuals involved in this enterprise. Openness and transparency about the care for and use of animals in the biomedical research setting also has potentially significant impacts (both positive and negative) on those who interact with animals in biomedical research settings. Systematic studies on metrics to identify, monitor, and evaluate the workplace impacts of human-animal interactions and the effectiveness of associated programs in biomedical research environments are lacking.
Objectives:
This workshop will explore and characterize aspects of the complex scientific, ethical, and occupational health issues associated with human-animal interactions in the biomedical research environment. The workshop will consider the full range of people who are involved in animal care and use in biomedical research settings, including research scientists, their staff and students, laboratory animal facilities managers, animal care staff, veterinarians and members of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs). This workshop will also consider possible metrics that, in combination with other contextual information, could shed light on potential workplace impacts (e.g., worker attendance, disability claims, injuries, complaints, and compliance records). Relevant tools, processes, and lessons learned from existing programs that are focused on the impacts of human-animal interactions in the biomedical research environment also will be explored. These discussions can help to inform a framework that could guide development of programs at other institutions.