Contact Information
Meharry's Animal Care Facility (ACF) is located in the basement of the Harold D. West Basic Sciences Center, the building in which the laboratories of investigators in both basic science and clinical departments that use animals most extensively are housed. The Animal Care Facility (ACF) comprises 24,671 square feet with rooms for holding animals, necropsy, morgue, laboratory space, surgical suites, prep rooms, procedure rooms, recovery rooms, isolation rooms, cage washer, autoclaves, storage rooms, and animal receiving room. The holding rooms are all supplied with caging of all sizes that meets federal standards and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The Meharry research program has four focus areas of research that are supported by the ACF: 1) Cancer; 2) Women’s Health; 3) HIV/AIDS; and 4) Brain and Behavior. In addition, the ACF has been used to conduct research in cardiovascular diseases, nutrition, neuroscience, pharmacology, sickle cell disease, environmental toxicology, wound healing, and tropical diseases.
The Animal Care Facility is reviewed semiannually by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and has been accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) since 1972. AAALAC international conducted its most recent site visit of the ACF in November 2005 and continued FULL ACCREDITATION was awarded in March 2006. In addition, the ACF and Meharry Medical College meet U.S. Department of Agriculture standards and regulations and operate under current OLAW Assurance.
Contact |
Role |
Dr. Awadh Binhazim, D.V.M., M. S., Ph.D.
Director
Phone: 327-6070
Email: abinhazim@mmc.edu
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Awadh A. Binhazim, D.V.M., M. S., Ph.D. directs the facility and also serves as the backup veterinarian. Dr. Binhazim is also a veterinary diagnostician with a Ph.D. in veterinary pathology; he completed a pathology residency program at the College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia in 1992. He has over 22 years experience in laboratory animal medicine, pathology, and biomedical research; thus, he also manages the diagnostic laboratory. Dr. Binhazim has a faculty appointment at the level of Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology. As ACF director Dr. Binhazim reports directly to the Vice President for Research on all administrative matters and to the Associate V.P., Grants Management and Compliance on all compliance issues. Dr. Binhazim ensures that animal care personnel are aware of the institutional priority of keeping the animal facility in compliance with the standards of the Animal Welfare Act, PHS, and AAALAC International guidelines. |
Dr. Cynthia Tilghman-Lee, D.V.M.
Associate Director and Attending Veterinarian
Phone: 327-6070
Email: ctilghmanlee@mmc.edu
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Cynthia Tilghman-Lee, D.V.M. completed a residency training program in Laboratory Animal Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has over 7 years of experience in the area of laboratory animal medicine and scientific research. She provides educational training to investigators and has several years of experience instructing the AALAS Certification Preparatory Course for Animal Care Technicians. Dr. Tilghman-Lee is the attending veterinarian and has clinical responsibilities for maintaining the general health and welfare of all resident animals. She is a member of the IACUC and provides investigators with professional medical services and consultation. |
Carolyn Whitsitt, LVT
Licensed Veterinarian Technician
Phone: 327-6070
Email: cwhitsitt@mmc.edu |
Carolyn Whitsitt is a licensed veterinary technician with many years experience in veterinary medicine. She is a 1997 graduate of Columbia State Community College. She joined the Meharry Medical College staff in June 2006. Her duties include supervising the technician staff, maintaining several mouse breeding colonies, training and assisting researchers and providing technical assistance to the attending veterinarian. |
The ACF also has three animal care technicians that are responsible for the daily housing, maintenance and care of research animals. This includes changing of bedding, watering, feeding, daily care of animal rooms, and operation of the cage washer and other equipment in the ACF. The Associate Director supervises the technicians. The technicians are currently being trained for the technician - AALAS certifications. All ACF staff are given the opportunities for continuing education and attend local and national meetings, conferences, and seminars conducted by AALAS and other laboratory animal organizations.
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