The American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

membership

association Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

, established in 1950 as a forum for the exchange of information and expertise in the care and use of laboratory animals. Membership consists of approximately 12,000 individual, institutional, commercial and affiliate members. The national office is located in

Memphis, TN Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in Tennessee, the fifth-most p ...

National meeting

Each fall since 1950, the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science has held its annual National Meeting. During the five days of the meeting, members and nonmembers participate in workshops,

lecture A lecture (from ) is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history, background, theo ...

poster session A poster presentation, at a congress or conference with an academic or professional focus, is the presentation of research information in the form of a paper poster that conference participants may view. A poster session is an event at which man ...

s, and exhibits. The program is designed to have topics relevant to the entire membership. Exhibitors have an opportunity to interact with AALAS members from the

academic community An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

research institutions A research institute, research centre, or research organization is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often implies natural sc ...

, government organizations, and commercial companies. Eight professional and technical awards for excellence in the field of laboratory animal science are given each year at the AALAS National Meeting. The AALAS National Meeting is the largest gathering in the world of professionals concerned with the production, care, and use of laboratory animals.

Publications

AALAS publishes two

scientific journals Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

, ''Comparative Medicine'' and the ''Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science'', as well as a member

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

, ''Laboratory Animal Science Professional''. Publications are produced in the AALAS national office in Memphis, TN.

''Comparative Medicine''

''Comparative Medicine'' (''CM''), an international bi-monthly

journal A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of personal secretive thoughts and as open book to personal therapy or used to feel connected to onesel ...

comparative The degrees of comparison of adjectives and adverbs are the various forms taken by adjectives and adverbs when used to compare two entities (comparative degree), three or more entities (superlative degree), or when not comparing entities (positi ...

and

experimental medicine An experimental drug is a medicinal product (a drug or vaccine) that has not yet received approval from governmental regulatory authorities for routine use in human or veterinary medicine. A medicinal product may be approved for use in one diseas ...

, is the leading English-language publication in the field and is ranked by the

Science Citation Index The Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) is a citation index owned by Clarivate and previously by Thomson Reuters. It was created by the Eugene Garfield at the Institute for Scientific Information, launched in 1964 as Science Citation Index ( ...

in the upper third of all scientific journals. It seeks to advance knowledge about comparative medicine and laboratory animal science through the publication of scholarly articles about

animal model An animal model (short for animal disease model) is a living, non-human, often genetic-engineered animal used during the research and investigation of human disease, for the purpose of better understanding the disease process without the risk of ha ...

s, animal

biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

, laboratory animal medicine, laboratory animal

pathology Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...

animal behavior Ethology is a branch of zoology that studies the behaviour of non-human animals. It has its scientific roots in the work of Charles Darwin and of American and German ornithologists of the late 19th and early 20th century, including Charle ...

, animal

biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...

, and related topics. The journal invites reports and reviews about basic and applied laboratory investigations, clinical investigations, and

case studies A case study is an in-depth, detailed examination of a particular case (or cases) within a real-world context. For example, case studies in medicine may focus on an individual patient or ailment; case studies in business might cover a particular fi ...

. It also welcomes informed and thoughtful opinions relevant to the humane care and use of laboratory animals. ''Comparative Medicine'' is indexed in ''Index Medicus''. Dr. Linda Toth of

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is a medical school located in Springfield, the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is part of the Southern Illinois University system, which includes a campus in Edwardsville as well as t ...

is the editor in chief over Comparative Medicine and JAALAS; Dr. Ravi Tolwani of

The Rockefeller University The Rockefeller University is a private biomedical research and graduate-only university in New York City, New York. It focuses primarily on the biological and medical sciences and provides doctoral and postdoctoral education. It is classifi ...

is the associate editor for CM.

''Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science''

The ''Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science'' (''JAALAS'') serves as an official communication vehicle for the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS). The

, published bi-monthly, includes a section of refereed articles and a section of AALAS association news. The mission of the refereed section of the journal is to disseminate high-quality, peer-reviewed information on animal

, technology, facility operations, management, and compliance as relevant to the AALAS membership. Reflecting this mission, the journal title has changed, effective with the first issue of 2006, from ''Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science'' (''CT'') to ''JAALAS''. Dr. Linda Toth of

Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of T ...

School of Medicine is the editor in chief over Comparative Medicine and JAALAS; Dr. Susan Compton of

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

is the associate editor for JAALAS.

''Laboratory Animal Science Professional (LAS Pro)''

''LAS Pro'' is a quarterly magazine focusing on practical information, including the latest developments and strategies in laboratory animal science, such as management, professional development, occupational health and safety, facility design, and technologies. This publication addresses case studies and practical strategies for laboratory care professionals.

Certification

The AALAS

technician A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skill and technique, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Specialisation The term technician covers many different special ...

certification program Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply ''certification'' or ''qualification'', is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task. Not all certifications ...

certifies three levels of technical knowledge. The Technician Certification Registry is a voluntary program for technicians to demonstrate a current, credible level of knowledge. The Certified Manager of Animal Resources (CMAR) program is designed to raise competency and professionalism in the field of animal resources

management Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a Government agency, government bodies through business administration, Nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, or the political s ...

Certified Manager of Animal Resources (CMAR)

The CMAR designation involves a series of four examinations: three exams arranged via an organization called the Institute for Certified Professional Managers (ICPM), and the Animal Resources Exam offered by AALAS. Obtaining the CMAR designation is a sign of professionalism in the field of animal resources

. In order to maintain their CMAR designation, CMAR recipients will have annual requirements of a re-certification fee and a specified number of continuing education credits to stay abreast of the latest in management techniques and theory.

Technician Certification

AALAS' Certification and Registry Board (CRB) certifies three levels of technician competence: Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT), Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT), and Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATG). The technician certification designations of ALAT, LAT, and LATG are well known and widely used throughout the varied fields of laboratory animal care

Institute for Laboratory Animal Management

The Institute for Laboratory Animal Management (ILAM) is an AALAS educational program developed to provide instruction in

concepts that is applicable to the laboratory animal science industry and to enhance communication,

team building Team building is a collective term for various types of activities used to enhance social relations and define roles within teams, often involving collaborative tasks. It is distinct from team training, which is designed by a combination of busin ...

, and networking among colleagues with mutual interests. Directors, managers, and supervisors of laboratory animal facilities have seen their roles grow more and more complex over the years, and they have found themselves in a unique profession. People in management positions must be able to interpret the social, political, and economic environments in which they operate and use administrative and technical skills to maintain and improve their animal care and use programs. The vast majority of people in these positions was trained in biologic and

veterinary sciences Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all animal species, both ...

and must find additional training in management skills to fulfill their administrative roles.

AALAS Learning Library

The AALAS Learning Library provides training that is essential for

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...

s, managers, IACUC members, and investigators working with animals in a

research Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...

or education setting. Emphasizing the appropriate handling, care, and use of animals, the courses are designed to help people prepare for AALAS certification, meet training mandates of

regulatory Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly different meanings according to context. Fo ...

agencies, and improve their knowledge in technical areas.

AALAS Foundation

The AALAS Foundation, a 501(c)(3)

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

, provides funding for projects to promote the awareness of

biomedical research Medical research (or biomedical research), also known as health research, refers to the process of using scientific methods with the aim to produce knowledge about human diseases, the prevention and treatment of illness, and the promotion of ...

and its contributions to society. AALAS, through the Foundation, provides a variety of public

outreach Outreach is the activity of providing services to any population that might not otherwise have access to those services. A key component of outreach is that the group providing it is not stationary, but mobile; in other words, it involves meetin ...

tools in the form of flyers, posters, websites, videos and DVDs, and classroom materials.

References

External links

* {{authority control American medical research Professional associations based in the United States Veterinary medicine-related professional associations Medical associations based in the United States Organizations established in 1950 Animal testing in the United States Medical and health organizations based in Tennessee Veterinary medicine in the United States