Gaylen Edwards, head of the department of physiology and pharmacology and Georgia Athletic Association Professor in Veterinary Medicine, has recently been elected president of the AAALAC International Council on Accreditation.
AAALAC International is a non-profit organization that promotes the humane treatment of laboratory animals. The organization also offers a voluntary assessment and accreditation program. These assessments are vital to organizations ranging from large universities like the University of Georgia to small contract-research organizations seeking to promote confidence in their animal care programs and procure funding. As the president of the Council on Accreditation, Dr. Edwards will oversee all council meetings and communicate with programs seeking accreditation. These duties are performed alongside his own site visits for the organization among other responsibilities with the College as well as the UGA Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
Dr. Edwards has worked with AAALAC since 2006 and has been on the council since 2011. Prior to this election, he held the vice president seat for 18 months. He has also been the Chair of the UGA IACUC for over 20 years. This committee has oversight of animal care and use in research at the University of Georgia.
Learn more about AAALAC International at https://www.aaalac.org/.
