Second Annual Science of Enrichment Symposium
Co-hosted by the ULAM Animal Enrichment Committee and the Michigan Society for Medical Research (MISMR), the Science of Enrichment Symposium will be held on Wednesday, April 12 from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM at the Kensington Hotel in Ann Arbor. Now in its second year, the Symposium is a day-long event designed to engage laboratory animal staff and research investigators in the science of environmental enrichment for animals used in biomedical research.
The Symposium will focus on evidence-based recommendations for enrichment best practice(s) and features speakers from academia, government, and industry with expertise in rat, non-human primate, pig, and dog enrichment.
Speaking sessions include:
- “It’s No Laughing Matter: Affective States in Laboratory Rats,” presented by Megan LaFollette, MS, Purdue University
- “Adaptation to Social Isolation is Dynamic: From Gene Expression to Behavior,” presented by Elaine Hebda-Bauer, PhD, University of Michigan
- “Getting on the Same Page: Development and Implementation of an Effective Institution-Wide Enrichment Program,” presented by Candace Hedrick, BS, RALAT, The Ohio State University
- “Welfare and Enrichment of the Laboratory Pig,” presented by Jeremy N. Marchant-Forde, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service
- “A Progressive Approach to Laboratory Canine Operant Conditioning and Enrichment Strategies,” presented by Carolyn Allen, BS, RLATG, CMAR, AbbVie
- “Utilization of Enrichment and Behavioral Management to Enhance Validity in Nonhuman Primate Models,” presented by Melanie Graham, MPH, PhD, University of Minnesota
- “The Quest for the Perfect NHP Foraging Item (or Enrichment in the Real World),” presented by Michelle Newell, DVM, MPI Research
There is a $25 registration fee for this event, which includes a continental breakfast and boxed lunch. Space is limited, so if you are interested in attending, you are strongly encouraged to register soon.
If you have any questions about this event, please contact ULAM Faculty Veterinarian Tara Martin, DVM, at taramar@umich.edu.