The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre (SWC) at UCL is pleased to announce that we have been selected to present at an international veterinary conference. Jointly organised by the European Society of Laboratory Animal Veterinarians (ESLAV), the European College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ECLAM) and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International, the conference is taking place on 17-18 June in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Following our full accreditation from AAALAC International in November 2022, Dr Eleni Amaniti, Head of Neurobiological Research Facility at SWC, submitted an abstract to the international conference based on the improvements made to our programmes during the accreditation process.

After an extensive review by the AAALAC Scientific Committee, Dr Amaniti’s abstract was selected for an oral presentation. The main theme of the conference this year is “Quality in Animal Care and Facility Management,” and abstracts were chosen based on relevance, originality, significance, and quality following a blind review process.

Commenting on the selection, Dr Amaniti said: “I am very pleased to be selected to present at ESLAV-ECLAM-AAALAC. We’re proud to be the third academic institute in the UK to become AAALAC accredited, and it is a privilege to be able to present to the industry and discuss our journey with peers.”

Dr Amaniti’s presentation will take place on Tuesday 18 June, “SWC The AAALAC Site Visit: how did we get there?” Focusing on the lead up to AAALAC accreditation, Dr Amaniti will cover the importance of teamwork in reviewing and improving processes, the need to centralise information, and the power of passion, energy and a supportive environment throughout the journey.

“The support from all the teams in SWC was paramount to being awarded an AAALAC accreditation. It wouldn’t have been possible without all their hard work and the encouragement from our executive team. Together we are on a journey of continuous improvement, and we strive to keep becoming better,” concluded Dr Amaniti.

About ESLAV-ECLAM-AAALAC Annual Conference

The annual conference on "Quality in Animal Care and Facility Management" jointly organized by ESLAV, ECLAM, and AAALAC is a two-day event designed to bring together a diverse community of professionals involved in animal research. This conference aims to promote best practices in animal care and facility management, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among technicians, veterinarians, researchers, and animal welfare personnel. For further information, visit the ESLAV-ECLAM-AAALAC Annual Conference website.

About AAALAC International

AAALAC International is a private, nonprofit organisation that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through a voluntary accreditation program, a Program Status Evaluation service, and educational programs. More than 980 animal care and use programs in 44 countries have earned AAALAC International accreditation, demonstrating their commitment to responsible animal care and use. These programs include academic institutions, commercial organisations, hospitals and government agencies. AAALAC International has been working to promote animal well-being and enhance life sciences research and education since 1965. For further information, visit the AAALAC International website.

About the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre

The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre (SWC) brings together world-leading neuroscientists to generate theories about how neural circuits in the brain give rise to the fundamental processes underpinning behaviour, including perception, memory, expectation, decisions, cognition, volition and action. Funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and Wellcome, SWC is located within UCL and is closely associated with the Faculties of Life Sciences and Brain Sciences.

Media contact:

For more information or to speak to Dr Eleni Amaniti, please contact: 

• April Cashin-Garbutt
  Head of Research Communications and Engagement
  E: a.cashin-garbutt@ucl.ac.uk 
  T: +44 (0)20 3108 8028