IACUC Procedures

James Weiland, PhDProfessor of Ophthalmology/BME

IACUC Chairjweiland@usc.edu

Agenda

• Who we are and what we do• First steps• Writing a good protocol• Process review

IACUC

• People – Faculty, staff veterinarians, specialists (radiation, safety), and community members

• Role-– Review animal protocols to ensure that they

comply with the Guide (following Federal Law and NIH guidelines)

– Inspect animal facilities– Take corrective action for non-compliance issues

First steps

• iacuc.usc.edu - > policies, FAQ, istar user guide• istar.usc.edu - > Obtain istar account, login for

protocol writing and maintenance• dar.usc.edu -> Training and services• With istar login, begin writing protocol• You must complete online, lecture, and hands-

on training for each species on a protocol prior to protocol approval

Writing a good protocol

• START EARLY, CHECK DEADLINES (go to website)

• Read the question• Use lists, write concisely• Only provide detailed information once– Example – details of ketamine/xylazine anesthesia

are provided in species section 3, in other sections, simply state “ketamine/xylazine” without dosages

Review Process

• Protocol submitted• In 2nd week of month (typically), pre-review meeting results

in “stipulations” to the protocol• PI has about 10 days to edit the protocol to address the

stipulations• At the Full Committee meeting (2 weeks after pre-review),

the protocol is recommended for approval, approval pending answers, not recommended for approval, deferred to next month

• Missing a submission deadline can delay review by a full month, so pay attention to the deadlines

• Questions?