Disaster Management and Business Continuity for Animal Research Programs

This book provides guidance on planning for, responding to, and recovering from the impacts of disasters that animal research programs may encounter, such as severe weather, catastrophic failures of facility mechanical systems, intentional or accidental damage to equipment or infrastructure, or significant personnel shortages such as those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although individual programs may differ in their processes and facilities, the disaster preparedness and business continuity principles outlined in this book are broadly applicable and relevant to an international audience.

The 17 chapters in this book are written by subject matter experts with extensive experience and expertise in animal research program management and/or emergency management. Each chapter offers in-depth coverage of a specific topic, including regulatory requirements, the Incident Command System, the development of disaster response and business continuity plans, training strategies, psychological well-being of personnel, information technology infrastructure and cyber-risk considerations, and effective communications.

To support practical application, the book includes checklists, case studies, and other resources designed to assist institutions in creating new disaster and business continuity plans as well as critically reviewing and revising existing plans.

Considering the critical operational, ethical, and regulatory implications associated with disasters affecting animal research programs, this book is an essential resource for animal research program leadership, including institutional senior administrators, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee/ Oversight Body members, veterinarians, researchers, and animal care personnel, as well as the institutional facilities, engineering, and emergency management leadership and community emergency responders who support these programs.

Lesley A. Colby, DVM, MS, DACLAM is a Professor at the University of Washington (UW) in the Department of Comparative Medicine (DCM). In addition to her clinical, instructional, and research duties, her responsibilities include shared oversight of the daily operations of DCM-managed animal facilities as well as coordination of the renovation, design, and construction of research facilities. Dr. Colby also serves as Director of the UW BSL-3/ABSL-3 Select Agent Facility and is an active member of the UW Institutional Biosafety Committee.

Dr. Colby earned her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Virginia Tech, followed by both a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and a Master of Science (MS) from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM). After practicing small animal medicine in Montana, she returned to VMRCVM to complete postdoctoral training in Laboratory Animal Medicine.

She then joined the faculty at the University of Michigan’s Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine for 10 years during which time she served as Assistant Director as well as Director of their clinical laboratory animal medicine postdoctoral training program and Director of the University’s BSL-3/ABSL-3 Select Agent Facility.

Board-certified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM), Dr. Colby currently serves as President of ACLAM and is a former President of the American Society of Laboratory Animal Medicine. She is also a member of the AAALAC International Council on Accreditation. She frequently collaborates with health and safety professionals in numerous aspects of her position and has special interest in facility design, biological containment, teaching, and occupational health and safety.

John N. Norton, DVM, PhD, DACLAM, DABT is an Emeritus Professor of Pathology and the former Director of the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources and the University Attending Veterinarian for the Animal Program at Duke University. Prior to returning to academia, Dr. Norton held positions in the private sector as a toxicologist and as Director of a laboratory animal resources organization.

Dr. Norton earned Bachelor of Science degrees and the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from North Carolina State University, followed by the Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology from Vanderbilt University. He is board-certified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) and the American Board of Toxicology (ABT; 1995-2020).

Over a distinguished career spanning more than 35 years, Dr. Norton has made significant contributions to toxicology, pharmacology, and laboratory animal medicine. His professional experience includes directing preclinical discovery and development programs, preparing regulatory submissions for both domestic and international agencies, and designing and managing complex animal research facilities. He has served as Study Director or Manager for more than 150 preclinical pharmacology and safety studies in both academic and private-sector settings, including establishment of a preclinical research core supporting discovery and development studies.

Dr. Norton has provided leadership through service on numerous professional committees and boards, including ACLAM, the National Association for Biomedical Research, and the North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research. He was a member of AAALAC International’s Council on Accreditation, including service as President, and he continues to serve as an Emeritus Council Member.

His research has focused on extrinsic factors influencing animal research models, particularly environmental noise and vibration. Dr. Norton has authored scientific and technical publications, contributed book chapters, and served as a reviewer for journals and grant proposals. He remains an advocate for animal welfare and translational research supporting novel therapeutics and biomedical devices.

Jason S. Villano, DVM, MS, DACLAM is the Attending Veterinarian and the Director of Research Animal Resources at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he is also an Associate Professor of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology. Dr. Villano earned his veterinary degree from the University of the Philippines, a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and a Master of Science degree while pursuing residency in Laboratory Animal Medicine at Penn State College of Medicine. Dr. Villano served as clinical veterinarian at the Singapore General Hospital and at University of Texas Medical Branch before joining the faculty at the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine at the University of Michigan, and finally at Johns Hopkins. He is board-certified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and currently serves as an ad hoc consultant for AAALAC International, He is an active member and leader of several organizations having served as a Trustee for the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) and chair of various committees of ACLAM and the Association of Primate Veterinarians. His area of expertise is infectious disease research, rodent medicine and health surveillance programs, occupational health and safety, husbandry operations, and laboratory animal program management and operations.

Lois A. Zitzow, MS, DVM, DACLAM, is Attending Veterinarian and Senior Director at BC US, LLC, where she provides strategic leadership and oversight of the veterinary, husbandry, and behavioral units and serves as a member of the senior leadership team.

Dr. Zitzow earned a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Maryland, a Master of Science in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Michigan, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a residency in Laboratory Animal Medicine at Emory University, where she also served as a visiting scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studying highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in ferrets.

Over her career, Dr. Zitzow has held senior leadership and faculty roles in laboratory animal medicine, including Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and Associate Professor appointments at the University of Chicago and the University of Georgia. Her experience includes directing animal care and use programs, leading rodent and macaque breeding programs, overseeing ABSL3 vivaria, and supporting research involving multiple species. She has also held international leadership positions at the National University of Singapore and the University of Bern.

Board-certified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM), Dr. Zitzow has served on numerous ACLAM committees and as an AAALAC International Ad Hoc Specialist. She has contributed to advancing best practices in laboratory animal medicine, biocontainment, and disaster preparedness through invited presentations and professional education.