Laboratory Animal Scientists' Association (India)
Laboratory Animal Scientists' Association (India)
9th International Conference of LASA India, Pune, November 21 - 23, 2019
"Laboratory animals in biomedical research - the way forward"
9th International Conference of LASA India was jointly organized by Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune and National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune In association with Laboratory Animal Scientists’ Association (LASA), India at IISER Pune and NCCS Pune on November 21-23, 2019. The theme of the conference was “Laboratory Animals in Biomedical Research- The way forward” which included invited lectures and keynote speeches from internationally renowned speakers from several countries, covering a wide range of topics relevant to laboratory animal science.
Two pre-conference workshops were organized on Nov. 21, 2019. The Pre-conference workshop- I was on a theme “Establishing Indian College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ICLAM): A Specialty Program of LASA India ”. The idea to hold the workshop on this subject was to establish the ‘Indian College of Laboratory Animal Medicine’ and creating awareness amongst the stake holders about the need to start the College in India. The workshop started with welcome note by Dr. Mahesh Sahare, Organizing Secretary, LASACON 2019 followed by keynote address by Dr. Arvind Ingle, President LASA, India. Dr. Shakthi Devan, Secretary LASA, India gave an overview of the ICLAM workshop as part of standardization of Laboratory Animal Medicine in India as well as harmonization process among member Colleges. The workshop included talks by eminent speakers from the International Association of Colleges of Laboratory Animal Medicine (IACLAM), American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) and Japanese College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (JCLAM). The workshop began with a talk on “JCLAM foundation and background for the establishment of laboratory animal medical profession group in Japan” by Dr. Tsutomu Miki Kurosawa, President of JCLAM, Japan and the First President of IACLAM. Dr Kurosawa explained about JCLAM including the process involved while formation of laboratory animal medicine in Japan and shared his experience towards establishing ICLAM.
The second speaker was Dr Angela King Herbert, Head, Laboratory Animal Medicine, National Toxicology Program (NTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NIH, USA. Dr. Herbert presented an outline of the history of ACLAM, the role of the ACLAM diplomates, training standards established by ACLAM for those seeking board certification, and recertification of ACLAM diplomates.
The third speaker for the session was Dr David Moore, Emeritus Associate Professor of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, USA delivered a talk on ‘Role Delineation Document’. Dr Moore emphasised the importance of RDD as well as knowledge and tasks required for the candidates including post certification requirements with species involved. Since Dr. Hilton Klein, President, IACLAM could not make it to attend the conference, Dr. David Moore delivered his talk too on ‘The Role of IACLAM in Advancing the Mission and Strategies of Colleges of Laboratory Animal Medicine on a Global Level’. The talk highlighted about harmonisation aspects and briefed about the Diplomates/ specialist survey responses presented apart from the important roles played by laboratory animal veterinarians in biomedical research and medicine. All the four talks were provided greater overview of laboratory animal medicine practiced worldwide with broader perspective. The mission of IACLAM is mainly by supporting through scientific information and organisational resources from its members to advance the specialty of laboratory animal medicine by providing a common platform at global level. This was followed by a panel discussion by the speakers including Dr. Ingle and Dr. Devan who gave better insights towards the formation of ICLAM and clarified the queries of workshop participants. A total of 98 professionals working in laboratory animal science attended the workshop.
The pre-conference workshop- II was conducted on the topic “Critical Factors Affecting Cage Processing and Lab Animal Hygiene”. The workshop- II started with welcome note of Dr. Nixon Abraham, IISER Pune. The experts of the field shared their valuable experiences and guided towards advanced techniques dealing with laboratory animal hygiene in vivarium. A total of 173 delegates attended this workshop.
The main two-days conference started on November 22nd, 2019. The conference started with the opening remark by Dr. Mahesh Sahare, Organizing secretary of LASACON 2019. Dr. Sanjeev Galande, Dean, R and D, IISER Pune welcomed the guests and delegates. Dr. Arvind Ingle, President, LASA India briefed about the activities of LASA. The Chief Guest Dr. O.P. Chaudhary, Joint Secretary (Animal Welfare) & Chairman, CPCSEA, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India inaugurated the 9th International Conference of LASA India with the release of conference proceedings followed by inaugural speech with focus on CPCSEA’s role in animal ethics. Dr. Ramanamurthy, Convener, LASACON 2019 offered the vote of thanks.
The technical program included 23 invited talks spread over seven sessions based on themes “Animal welfare, ethics and policies”, “Advances in laboratory animal husbandry and modernisation of vivarium”, “Animal models in cancer and behaviour studies”, “Breakthrough in genome editing tool for generation of animal models”, “Preclinical animal models for human diseases” and “Alternative laboratory animal experimentation”. A total of 50 abstracts were selected for poster presentation and 3 for oral presentation. Renowned experts from national as well as international organisations delivered lectures on the basics to advances of laboratory animals in biomedical research. In addition to this, “Fondazione Guido Bernardini” quiz was organised by Dr. Marcel Gyger, Scientific Committee, Fondazione Guido Bernardini, Italy and lucky winner was presented with free iPad. A half day conference session was held at NCCS, Pune on Nov. 23, 2019.
We were glad to have Dr. S. K. Dutta, Member Secretary, CPCSEA, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India as a Chief Guest for the closing ceremony and the valedictory function. The chief guest awarded the prizes for the best posters presentation and oral presentation. A total of 28 sponsors/ vendors/ distributers from India and abroad showcased their innovative products related to laboratory animal housing as well as research during the conference days. Dr. Sanjeev Galande and Dr. Arvind Ingle presented the Plaque of appreciation to sponsors during the valedictory function for their generous support and making the event successful.
A total of 314 participants from all over the country came together for sharing and advancing knowledge about the uses of laboratory animals in biomedical research. In conclusion, this was a versatile, interactive conference that involved policy makers, veterinarian, biological scientist, student and vendors to address the future challenges in laboratory animal science.
8th AFLAS Congress, November 29 to December 01, 2018, Bangalore
Laboratory Animal Scientists’ Association (LASA), India and Asian Federation of Laboratory Animal Science Associations (AFLAS), Japan jointly organized the 8th Asian Federation of Laboratory Animal Science Associations Congress at Hotel ITC Gardenia, Bangalore, India from November 29 to December 01, 2018. The theme was “Laboratory Animal Science in India: Bridging the gap in Asia Pacific Region”.
A one day Pre-conference workshop was organized on a topic “Attaining AAALAC International Accreditation – Myth and Fact” in association with the AAALAC International, USA with the aim to promote the high standards for the care and use of research animals. Dr. Kathryn Bayne, CEO, AAALAC International inaugurated this workshop on November 28, 2018 and highlighted the need for accreditation and harmonization among various country guidelines. This workshop provided a platform to delegates from different countries to interact with experts and renowned international speakers and share their experiences on challenges in accreditation and local guidelines. A total of 65 delegates attended this workshop.
The main three-day Congress started on Nov. 29, 2019. Dr. Arvind Ingle, President of AFLAS and LASA India welcomed the guests and delegates. The Chief Guest Dr. Neelam Bala, Secretary, Animal Welfare Board of India inaugurated the AFLAS Congress. Prof. C. Balachandran, Honourable Vice Chancellor of TANUVAS, Chennai delivered the Guest of honour lecture. Dr. Noriyuki Kasai, Secretary General, AFLAS briefed about the activities of AFLAS. Conference compendium was released by the Guests and finally Dr. Ramachandra, Organizing Secretary gave vote of thanks. Subsequently, technical session started with key note lecture from Dr. Cynthia Pekow, Secretary General ICLAS, USA. Eminent experts from national as well as international organizations delivered lectures on advances in the field of laboratory animal science that included various animal models in toxicology, immunology, oncology, metabolic diseases, neuroscience, laboratory animal diseases, microbiological monitoring, in vivo imaging and animal welfare. The technical program included 65 invited talks spread over twenty scientific sessions. In addition, 52 abstracts were selected for poster presentation and three best posters were awarded with Best Poster prizes. An opportunity was provided to 35 vendors to showcase their products during the conference days. A total of 375 participants from all over India and 25 from different countries such as USA, UK, China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Hungary, Italy, Sri Lanka, Netherland, Singapore and Denmark came together for sharing and advancing knowledge about recent advances in laboratory animal science. LASA India acknowledged the support of the Corporate/Institutional members of LASA India by providing them a 'Plaque' of appreciation during the valedictory function on December 01, 2018. AFLAS Congress concluded with handing over the AFLAS Congress flag to the next host country, Thailand. On behalf of the President, Thai Association for Laboratory Animal Science, Dr. Montip Gettayacamin received the flag from Dr. Ingle.
8th International Conference of LASA India, November 25 - 26, 2017
The 8th International Conference of Laboratory Animal Scientists’ Association (LASA), India was jointly organized by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi; CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi; and National Institute of Biologicals (NIB), Noida during 25th – 26th November 2017 at Convention Centre, JNU, Delhi on a topic "Recent Advances in 3R’s and Laboratory Animal Science".
The organizers of the conference had chosen this theme of ‘Recent Advances in 3 R’s” as it was strongly felt that although the awareness about the concept of 3 R’s is continuously increasing but understanding to the level which could lead to actual implementation is less. Therefore, it was thought that an enriching interaction with experienced international speakers from recognized establishments around the globe like NC3R’s (UK), ECVAM (EC), AAALAC (USA), Jackson Laboratory (USA), Tohuko University, Japan and several more along with our national experts in the field of laboratory animal science would hone our knowledge on the recent advances in 3 R’s and energize all the participants to improve their standards towards animal welfare and 3 R’s which in turn would help us in performing high quality research and regulatory testing. This event included participation of renowned keynote speakers, oral presentations and poster sessions related to the theme of the conference. The scientific program consisted of 6 scientific sessions including invited talks by 11 national and 15 international speakers.
The conference was preceded by two pre-conference workshops on “Experimental Design” by NC3Rs, UK in forenoon and “Hygiene in Laboratory Animal Facilities” by Tecniplast, Italy in the afternoon on 24th November 2017 at CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi. The delegates attending the hands on workshop on “Experimental Design” got a deeper insight about the key elements of experimental design, analysis of the results and their reporting for publications in reputed international journals as per ARRIVE guidelines. They also gathered information about the NC3R’s experimental design resources and were given live demonstration of Experimental Design Assistant (EDA) which is available on their website for use by the scientists around the globe. The workshop on “Hygiene in Animal Facilities” was also critical as a good hygiene status is imperative to high quality animal husbandry, which is a pre-requisite to minimize the introduction and spread of infectious diseases to ensure that pathogenic or opportunistic microorganisms are not introduced into the Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) or immune-compromised animals.
More than 400 participants from all over India and 10 different countries such as USA, UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Netherland, Singapore and Denmark came together for sharing and advancing knowledge about recent advances in 3R’s and laboratory animal science in these pre-conference workshops and the conference.
7th International Conference of LASA India, 14-15 October 2016.
Laboratory Animal Scientists’ Association (LASA) India and Bristol-Myers Squibb R & D Center, Bangalore jointly organized the 7th International Conference on " Advances in Laboratory Animal Sciences for Modeling Human Diseases” during 14-15 October 2016 at Hotel Sheraton Grand, Bangalore”. A pre-conference workshop on “Systematic reviews and meta-analysis: Tools to improve the Quality and Translatability of Pre-Clinical Animal Studies” was conducted by Professor Merel Ritskes-Hoitinga, Laboratory Animal Science SYRCLE (Systematic Review Center for Laboratory Animal Experimentation) Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. The Conference was inaugurated by Dr. S.R. Rao, Advisor, Dept. of Biotechnology, Govt. of India.
Eminent experts from national as well as international organizations delivered lectures on advances in the field of laboratory animal science that included various animal models in toxicology, immunology, oncology, metabolic diseases, neuroscience, laboratory animal diseases, microbiological monitoring, in vivo imaging and animal welfare. The technical program included 19 invited talks spread over six scientific sessions and 40 poster presentations. Three best posters were awarded "Best Poster Presentation" Awards. Handouts of pre-conference workshop containing 25 pages and conference souvenir containing 103 pages was printed and provided to each participant.
An opportunity was provided to 23 vendors to showcase their products during the conference days. A total of 295 delegates attended the conference. LASA India acknowledged the support of the Corporate/Institutional members of LASA India by providing them a 'Plaque' of appreciation during the valedictory function on Oct. 15, 2016. Next conference was declared to be held at New Delhi in Nov. 2017 by Dr. Vijay Pal Singh and Dr. Shikha Yadav.
6th International Conference of LASA India, 15-16 October 2015.
Laboratory Animal Scientists Association (LASA) India organized the 6th International Conference on "Promotion of Animal Research, Welfare and Harmonization of Laboratory Animal Science" in ACTREC, Navi Mumbai from October 15- 16, 2015. This conference aimed at updating members and other biomedical researchers on specific aspects of advances in the field of laboratory animal science that included- Housing, Breeding, Management, Biology, Medicine, Quality control, Animal experimentation, Alternatives, Import, Animal models, Imaging, Drug discovery, Accreditation, Human resource development, Ethics and Welfare etc. There were eminent subject experts as resource persons from national as well as international organizations.
The Organizers organized two unique events- a one-day pre-conference workshop by AAALAC International, USA on October 14, 2015, followed by the two-day conference. In all 41 participants for AAALAC pre-conference and 165 participants for main conference registered and attended the conference including 2 Malaysian participants. The pre-conference workshop was inaugurated by Dr. SV Chiplunkar, Director, ACTREC, Navi Mumbai. The main conference was inaugurated by Dr. MG Deo, Ex. Director, Cancer Research Institute, Mumbai on Oct. 15, 2015 wherein abstract book of the conference and June 2015 issue of LASA journal was released. Dr. Sanjay Deshmukh, Hon'ble Vice Chancellor, Mumbai University graced the occasion of Valedictory function on Oct. 16, 2015.
A spiral bound handout of the presentations of the pre-conference workshop of the AAALAC International was provided to the registered participants of this workshop. The Abstract Book of the conference contained proceedings of oral and poster presentations. The technical program was rich and varied, and included two keynote addresses, 20 invited talks spread over six scientific sessions, 9 technical presentations in the oral sessions, as well as 21 poster presentations. Oral and posters presentations were judged for the 'Best Oral/ Poster presentations'.
Five vendors delivered the technical presentations of their products. Opportunity was provided to 16 various vendors to showcase their products before the laboratory animal professionals coming to attend this conference from across the country and abroad. LASA India also acknowledged the support of the Corporate/ Institutional members of LASA India by providing them a 'Plaque' of appreciation during the valedictory function on Oct. 16, 2015.
LASA India thanks the Director, ACTREC for accepting the proposal to host the LASA conference in ACTREC, Navi Mumbai. Our sponsors - governmental, non-profit, and private- who have provided financial support for this conference deserve special thanks.
| Date | Title | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 01 - 02, 2006 | First National Conference on “Rational Use of Animals in Research” | Hyderabad |
| Dec. 29 - 30, 2007 | Second National Conference on "Current Perspectives and Future Challenges in Laboratory Animal Management " | Bangalore |
| Oct. 01 - 03, 2009 | Third International Conference on “Laboratory animal science : Applications in biomedical research” | Mumbai |
| Feb. 17 - 18, 2011 | Fourth International Conference on “The Challenges ahead” | Mathura |
| Feb. 07 - 09, 2013 | Fifth International Conference on “Laboratory Animal Medicine and Management” | Hyderabad |
First International Conference of LASA on "Rational Use of Animals in Research", 1st and 2nd November 2006
The First National Conference on 'Rational Use of Animals in Research' jointly organized by the Laboratory Animal Scientists' Association, the Indian Pharmacological Society and the Centre for Advanced Research in Preclinical Toxicology, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad was held on 1-2 November, 2006 at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR) Auditorium, Hyderabad.
Dr. B. Sesikeran, Director NIN, welcomed the gathering. Dr. P.V. Diwan, Secretary IPS introduced the Indian Pharmacological Society and its objectives. Dr. S.G. Ramachandra, President, LASA explained the objectives and future plans of LASA. Dr. R.N.S. Gowda, Vice Chancellor, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fishery Sciences University opened the conference by 'Lighting the lamp' and delivered the 'Inaugural address'.
The Chief Guest Maj. Gen. (Retd) Dr. R.M. Kharb, Chairman, Animal Welfare Board of India in his address, acknowledged the fact that tremendous contributions have been made by animal usage in scientific experimentation and research in pharmaceutical and bio-medical sciences by way of production of life saving sera and vaccines and perfecting surgical techniques that have saved millions of human lives. But, he also drew the attention of the august gathering to the fact that in the process, animals have undergone stress, pain and suffering. He emphasized the need for a holistic view about the use of animals for scientific experimentation and exploring alternative methods offered by new bio-technological techniques.
Dr. S.P. Vasi Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director, VIMTA Laboratories Ltd. Hyderabad inaugurated the LASA Website. Dr. Manmohan Singh, IAS. Vice Chancellor, Sri Venkateshwara Veterinary University, Tirupati while delivering the 'Special Address' expressed his happiness that a group of committed scientists have started the Laboratory Animal Scientists Association of India. Dr. Y.K. Gupta, Head, Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and President of the Indian Pharmacological Society, delivered the 'Keynote address' and highlighted the hurdles faced by biomedical science and the scientific community due to the unscientific attitude of some animal activists.
Dr. Syed S.Y.H. Qadri, the Organizing Secretary of the Conference and Secretary, LASA delivered the vote of thanks.
Second International Conference of LASA on "Current Perspectives and Future Challenges in Laboratory Animal Management", 29th and 30th December, 2007
The Second National Conference on "Current Perspectives and Future Challenges in Laboratory Animal Management" was jointly organized by the Laboratory Animal Scientists' Association, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and Veterinary College, Bangalore that was held on December 29-30, 2007 at the J.N. Tata Auditorium, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
Prof. R. Manjunath, Convenor, Small Animal Facility, welcomed the guests, dignitaries and the participants. Dr. S.S.Y.H. Qadri, Secretary, LASA gave introductory remarks about the LASA, its objectives, achievements and future plans of LASA. Dr. S. Yathiraj, Dean, Veterinary College, Bangalore, briefed about the golden jubilee celebrations of Bangalore Veterinary College. Dr. R.N. Sreenivasa Gowda, Vice Chancellor, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University opened the conference by 'Lighting the lamp' and delivered the 'Inaugural address'. He mentioned that the use of animals for research is a well-established necessity. Hence, health of the animal is major concern to obtain healthy results from the experiment. There is an ever-increasing demand by the animal welfare lobbies to cut down animal experiments and to reduce the number of animals used in experiments. However, the responsibility would lie on the scientific community to evolve methods to reduce the number of animals by using quality animals and refined methodologies in experiments to reduce pain and stress in the animals.
The Chief Guest, Prof. P. Balaram, Director, Indian Institute of Science in his address, explained the difficulty in maintaining the good animal facility and the role of animals in the progress of medicine. He mentioned that the process of developing new drugs and vaccines, testing these drugs on animal is highly essential but these should be tested on animals in most acceptable and most ethical manner as possible. Mr. D. Rajasekar, Secretary, Animal Welfare Board of India, Chennai, released the souvenir and mentioned that as an administrator he understands the importance of science. There is a growing concern for animal welfare in India and all over the world.
Dr. Ramachandra, the Organizing Secretary of the Conference and President, LASA delivered the vote of thanks.
Third International Conference of LASA 1st to 3rd October, 2009
The Third National Conference of the Laboratory Animal Scientists' Association (LASA), India was held at Saraswati Sabhagrah, Mumbai University Campus, Mumbai from October 1-3, 2009 in joint collaboration with National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai.
The International conference was inaugurated by Dr. Gilles Demers, President, International Council for Laboratory Animal Science and also Assessment Director of the Canadian Council on Animal Care. Dr. Lalit Kant, Scientist G, Indian Council of Medical Research, Govt. of India presided over the function and Dr. G.J. Samathanam, Advisor, Dept. of Science and Technology, Govt. of India was the Guest of honour. The programme was started with the welcome address by Dr. S.D. Kolkute, Director, NIRRH, Mumbai. Followed by a brief introduction by Dr. Vrinda Kohle, Scientist F, NIRRH about the objectives of conference.
Dr. S.G. Ramachandra, President of LASA India briefed about the association, its activities and achievements in the last one year. Dr. G. J. Samathanam emphasized the need for quality of laboratory animals in biomedical research. He mentioned that it is the need of the hour in this country to meet the international standards. Dr. Gilles Demers elaborated the efforts made by ICLAS to harmonize the guidance for the care and use of animals in science globally in his chief guest lecture. He appreciated the efforts of LASA India in creating awareness on the quality, care and use of animals in India. Dr. Lalit Kant emphasized on the animal welfare in India and the need for more compassion towards experimental animals in his presidential address.
The souvenir was released by the dignitaries on the dais. Finally Dr. Geeta Vanage, Organizing Secretary concluded the session with vote of thanks.
Fourth International Conference of LASA on "Challenges ahead", 17th and 18th February 2011
Fourth International Conference of Laboratory Animal Scientists Association on "Challenges ahead" was organized on February 17-18, 2011 in collaboration with by the College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwa Vidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sanstahn (DUVASU), Mathura.
The conference was inaugurated by Prof A.P. Singh, Vice Chancellor of the University and Robert Dysko, President of American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) was the Guest of honour. Some of the eminent scientists who attended the conference from abroad were Dr. Steve Niemi, Vice President, American College of laboratory animal Medicine (ACLAM) from Harvard Medical School, Dr. Claire Hankenson, University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Jeffrey Wyatt from University of Rochester, Dr. Christopher Cosgrove, Mr. Fronco Mondini, Dr. Graham Tobin, Dr. Sai Tummula, Director of Jewish Hospital, Denver, USA.
Fifth International Conference of LASA on "Laboratory Animal Medicine and Management", 7th to 9th February, 2013
Fifth International Conference on "Laboratory Animal Medicine and Management" was held at ITC Fortune Manohar Hotel, Hyderabad on 7-9 February, 2013.
Some of the important dignitaries who attended the conference were Dr. Christian Newcomer, Executive Director, AAALAC, USA; Dr. Patri Vergara, President ICLAS; Dr. Ann Turner, Executive Director, AALAS, USA; Dr. Ron Banks, Duke University, USA; Dr. Anne Deschamp, Associate Director, FASEB, USA; Dr. Sai Tummala, Director, OMRF, Oaklahoma, USA; Dr. Karl Field, Executive Director, Bristol Meyers & Squibb, USA and Dr. Lynn S Keller, Bristol Myers & Squibb, USA.
