PRELIMINARY AGENDA

  • Review of 2023 actions and exam results
  • Approval of 2024 budget
  • Elect new Council members
  • Committee updates

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SUBHEADING LEVEL 3

Registration for the 2024 Annual General Meeting is now open. All Diplomates must attend at least 2 AGMS in 5 years to maintain certification.


  1. All Diplomates must attend at least 2 AGMS in 5 years to maintain certification.
  2. ECLAM residents are welcome to attend the AGM, and must also pre-register. Residents may not vote.

BEWARE OF PHISHING SCAMS


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Many people have received phishing emails purporting to come from ECLAM. We will NEVER ask for money in this way. All ECLAM fees are requested via invoice. Contact the Secretariat if you receive a suspicious email.

Candidates for Ordinary Council terms

Emrah is the first ECLAM Diplomate to qualify via the internationally-recognised expert route, passing the certification examinations in 2021. Emrah is the director of the central animal facility at the University of Turku, Finland. He is also a docent (adjunct professor) in laboratory animal medicine at the University of Helsinki. He holds a PhD in histology and embryology. He is an author of 32 publications. Emrah is a member of the ECLAM Examination Committee (2022-2024).


Emrah Yatkin

ECLAM Council candidate

Arianna has been an ECLAM Diplomate since 2021. She holds a PhD in pathology from the University of Padua. She is a 2017 graduate of the Barcelona MS LAS programme and a FELASA Specialist in LAS. Arianna is the Designated Veterinarian for Merck in Ivrea, Italy. She is also the DV for Vetspin SRL in Bologna and for the Association for Cephalopod Research. She is an author of 19 publications. Arianna is a member of the ECLAM Examination Committee (2023-2025).


Arianna Aricò

ECLAM Council candidate

 

European College of Laboratory Animal Medicine

December 2022 News

 

It’s been another busy year at ECLAM.

  • Three new Diplomates
  • Nominations for Council
  • 2023 Scientific meeting planning
  • Leadership of IACLAM

 

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Three new Diplomates

Following the successful completion of their certification examinations, ECLAM welcomes three new Diplomates:

  • Chiara Zullian (Sweden)
  • Diego Celdrán Bonafonte (US)
  • Gianfranco Di Caro (Italy)

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Nominations for Council

In January we will vote for several new members of Council. To date we have two nominees:

More Council members are urgently needed to guide progress on the mission and vision set out in the strategic plan. If you can share an hour each month with your colleagues, and you want to see ECLAM continue to thrive, the time to volunteer is now.

I’ll do it!

 

2023Heading Level 4

Call for Abstracts: 2023 ESLAV-ECLAM Scientific Meeting

The meeting will be in Estonia, and will be followed by the Summer School. 

ECLAM Diplomates have a rather patchy history of presenting at our own scientific meeting. Please consider sharing your expertise with your colleagues and supporting this annual event. 

Abstract submissions are now open and will be accepted until the 15th of January. Topics include animal health and disease, refinements in sample collection, OneHealth, and the role of the laboratory animal veterinaian.Submit an abstract

 

 

2023Heading Level 4

Patricia Hedenqvist becomes IACLAM President

After many years leading ECLAM, Patricia was elected to a 3-year term as President of IACLAM

Patricia was co-author of a 2022 IACLAM paper on methods of residency training around the world. She has dedicated a tremendous amount of effort to her leadership of ECLAM and IACLAM. We congratulate her on this new venture, confident that she will bring her good humour and sensible guidance to this global group, originally established by another ECLAM Diplomate, Judy Macarthur-Clark, and others.

IACLAM is also growing and expanding its scope. A new website, a new Associate College (Philippines College of Laboratory Animal Medicine), and improvements in infrastructure have all been accomplished over the past year.

Patricia will continue to keep us updated on IACLAM’s projects. 

 

 

An appeal for Ukraine

During this cold winter, please consider aiding those in Ukraine displaced by war. Here is a short list of places you should visit to read more about how to help both animals and our veterinary colleagues who are volunteering to work under incredibly dangerous and stressful conditions. If you have more suggestions or a story to share, email the Secretariat.

  • The AVMA Foundation is part of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Those who live in the US, Canada or Australia can donate.
  • Worldwide Vets is a UK-based organisation providing front-line aid to animals in need all around the world. 
  • Vets for Ukraine is supported by the FVE, FECAVA and the WVA. Its site has a country-specific list of contacts in various European countries, to help you find a more local effort to support. 

 

Upcoming Events


15

June 2022

ECLAM AGM

12:45-14:15 CEST

Samena Room: Marseille Chanot- Palais des Congrès et des Expositions

Diplomates must register here

31

May 2022

Deadline to register for certification exams

Forms page

1

June 2022

Deadline to register for “We have to talk about rodent surgery”

8:00-17:15 CEST

Riou Room: Marseille Chanot-Palais des Congrès et des Expositions

Register here

31

May 2022

Summer School Registration Deadline

 

Register here

Registration Deadlines

Rodent Surgery Symposium

Seven internationally-known speakers will cover all aspects of rodent surgery. 

2022 ECLAM AGM

Diplomates will vote on the new Constitution and Bye-laws, vote for new Council members, and review the business of the College.

Exam Registration

All who have been credentialed to sit the exams must register in advance.

Summer School

The first portion will be held online, and the practical portion in-person in Bologna. This year’s module covers anaesthesia, analgesia and euthanasia.

E

Panel Discussion with Supervisors

In case you missed it, we’ve edited the e-coffee discussion among supervisors and added it to our YouTube channel.

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Want to keep up with our latest adventures? Follow us on LinkedIn  and YouTube.

Review Us

Want to share your experience, good or bad? We are welcome all feedback. Please contact us today.

Talk to Us

 

Moving On

ECLAM has a plan for the future.

Strategic Plan

Our 2021-2025 Strategic Plan is now on the website. The plan will streamline ECLAM over the next 5 years, create additional resources for residents and supervisors, and reach out to veterinary colleagues to promote the diploma. Working together in focussed teams, we will encourage our colleagues to join us in  improving the quality of laboratory animal science and medicine. How will you be involved?

Examination candidates will shortly be contacted with additional details about the 2021 certification examinations. ECLAM needs additional time to plan for the 2021 examinations, so candidates are asked to confirm their intentions before 31 January.

2021 Certification Examinations

ECLAM will administer the 2021 examinations to a record number of candidates. There will be significant changes in the delivery and content of the examinations. 

The written examination will be held at several sites in Europe to facilitate travel, probably over two days in September. EBVS has contracted with ExamSoft to enable all Colleges to use a computerised method of examination delivery. Candidates will need to bring a laptop with the examination app installed. 

Practical skills will no longer be assessed during the certification examinations. The oral examination will be conducted via online meeting. For invigilation purposes, candidates will again be required to travel to an examination site on one day.

 

WVA: Promoting Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity refers to the characteristics and traits that make individuals unique, while inclusion refers to social norms and behaviours that make others feel welcome. In 2020, these are critical concepts for veterinary professional associations, veterinarians, veterinary educators, and veterinary students to grapple with, acknowledge, and promote within their associations, workplaces, colleges, and communities.

As we have seen recently and continue to see, systematic marginalisation of people because of colour, race, gender and gender identity, class or beliefs and the ensuing injustices and inequities that arise, create complex social imbalances resulting in lasting harm to people, but also create conditions of social permissiveness for ignoring the needs of animals and the state of our environment. These same types of single dominating visions allow societies to accept conditions for keeping and caring of animals that do not preserve animal integrity and interests, as well as methods of killing animals that do not recognise animal sentience and intelligence. A single-minded bias also allows societies to ignore the loss of habitat and biodiversity for short-term human financial gain.

When a One Welfare framework is employed for promoting global human, animal, and environmental health and welfare, it helps to ensure that there can’t be a single dominating perspective or point of view. With this approach, human diversity, and more broadly, biodiversity, are seen as necessary for preserving the richness of life on earth. Preserving the dignity and integrity of people, animals, and environments (both social and physical) requires ongoing collaborations and dialogues. While these may seem like lofty aspirations for local, national, and regional governments to grapple with, we all have an individual responsibility to inform ourselves and to consider our own actions and behaviours as they relate to these subjects. Supporting diversity and inclusion is not about adding another layer of ‘political correctness’ to our associations, workplaces or schools – it requires transformation, a willingness and desire to ask questions and listen to and help others, and an openness to revision of longstanding thoughts and societal beliefs for the greater good. Promoting diversity and inclusion are important for ensuring that the veterinary profession remains relevant and resilient in a changing world.

With sincere regards,  

Dr. Patricia Turner 

President, World Veterinary Association

EARA forming animal transport working group

EARA will be represented on two IATA Live Animals and Perishables Board (LAPB) task forces. The first will look at improving the IATA-CITES collaboration, while the other will review regulations governing NHP transport (CR 31-34). 

LAPB develops regulations for the acceptance, handling and loading of live animals in air transport, compiled in the  Live Animals Regulations manual. The next meeting will be in Miami, USA, in October 2020.

With the European Parliament being set to investigate EU animal welfare rules during transport, EARA would like to speed up the possibility of creating a working group of EARA members with expertise on the transport of research animals. If you are interested please contact Kirk directly atkleech@eara.eu.

LAPB site

EU Parliament investigating animal transport

MEPs have set up an inquiry committee to look into alleged breaches in the application of EU animal welfare rules during transport. The new inquiry committee will look at every aspect of  Regulation 1/2005  and the alleged failure of the European Commission to facilitate the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) mission to implement international standards on animal welfare during transport. 

The committee will investigate alleged violations in the application of EU law on the protection of animals during transport and related operations within and outside the EU, including by air, road, rail and sea. The Committee has one year to complete its report which will include recommendations. 

It will focus on how EU rules are being implemented by Member States and whether the Commission is enforcing them properly, including the alleged failure to act upon evidence that EU rules on moving live animals across the EU, and to third countries, are being infringed. The adopted version is not yet published, but the draft can be found  here

ECLAM news

2020 AGM and Annual Scientific Meeting

Our annual meeting will be held online in conjunction with the SGV and ESLAV on 24-25 November. If you are interested in becoming a committee or council member beginning in 2021, please let the Secretariat (ECLAM.assistance@gmail.com) know. 

Strategic Planning underway

The ECLAM Council is developing a new 5-year strategic plan which will be presented to the members at the November AGM. The 3Rs of the plan are Revisit, Refine and Reach Out. We aim to revisit and refine the College’s processes and structure to better support the needs of our Residents and Diplomates, and to advance the College’s mission by reaching out to veterinary students and employers.

At the same time, our parent organisation, the EBVS, is also creating a new strategic plan. One objective is to attain recognition of EBVS specialities by the national competent authorities in EU Member States. Other possibilities include making residency training more compatible with personal and family obligations, and investigating multi-centre training programmes.

Examination Plans

With the cancellation of the 2020 ECLAM certification examinations due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Examination Committee is working on restructuring the exam format for the future. Projects include new software that allows the written examination to be taken at the candidate’s workplace (with invigilation) and assessing practical skills prior to the examination. This is becoming necessary due to the growing number of exam candidates each year. 

Editors Wanted, Laboratory Animals

The journal (of which ECLAM is a subscribing member) is looking for two editors to serve on a volunteer basis to assist in managing the editorial process. Responsibilities include initial overview of manuscripts to assess overall suitability for the journal, ensuring that ARRIVE guidelines are met, and selection of section editors for review. 

Qualifications include a background in lab animal science, experience in writing manuscripts for publication and conduct of critical review of manuscripts. Experience as a member of an editorial board or as a section editor is preferred.

This is an excellent opportunity to be involved in the publication process as well as to sharpen your skills in writing and critical review.

Please respond by the end of September; the preferred start date is December 2020.

Contact the journal

 



 

 

Charles River Short Course 2020

 The annual Charles River Short Course will be available online beginning on 22 June 2020 and continuing until 31 January 2021. Nine presentations will be offered in June 2020, four in July, and will be followed by other series throughout the autumn and winter. To register, click on the link below.

Read more

Online Educational Opportunities from Other EBVS Colleges

EBVS has collated a set of learning opportunities from four other EBVS colleges, many of which may be of interest to us. I watched part of a presentation on Q fever in cattle, which was interesting, but my attention span isn’t what it used to be and so an hour and 45 minutes was a bit more than I wanted to spend. On the other hand, the 5-minute blood sample from a penguin in the Edinburgh zoo was very interesting. Download the Excel file, and let us know in the Groups.io networks what you find out!

Download the file

Survey on Safety of Workers in COVID-19

The Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) has shared a survey on behalf of an international group of experts convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Labour Organisation (ILO) and requested that it be further distributed.  The aim of the survey is to collect data about risk factors and their controls for health and safety of health workers in COVID-19. The data collected through this survey will inform high level actions and recommendations through the expert group, and additional comments are welcomed in the “Other” fields, as well as any follow-up you would like to send directly.

CIOMS asks that you further share the survey widely and rapidly with your networks of health workers, managers, decision-makers, occupational safety and health professionals, mental health and psychosocial support practitioners, infection prevention and control specialists, social sector partners and academia. It reflects the multidisciplinary collaborative force that is needed to address this critical issue in the context of COVID-19 and beyond.

The CIOMS Survey is available in English, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swahili. It is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OSHofHealthWorkersinCOVID19 (email), https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HSofHCWinCOVID19 (social media).

 

UFAW Animal Welfare Conference 2020

The 2020 UFAW conference will be on 30 June- 1 July this year and will be both free and online. Speakers include Diplomates Sarah Wolfensohn and Adrian Smith, along with many other notable presenters. Topics include welfare indicators and assessments, restraint stress in rats, micro-expressions in social interactions, guidelines for planning studies, behaviour of re-homed dogs, and welfare issues in pet rabbits. The conference is free, but UFAW appreciates donations.

Read more about the UFAW conference

New! ECLAM Word Search

Find all the words in the puzzle that relate to anaesthetics or analgesics used in lab animals. The puzzle link below should open online, or you can go to https://mywordsearch.com/440638/Anaesthetics-and-Analgesics. Be among the first to find all the words and be recognised as an ECLAM WS Champion! And be warned– these are going to get more difficult.

Council to Meet for Strategic Planning on 20-21 April

Council will meet for two half-day sessions to discuss the results of recent surveys of Diplomates, Residents and ESLAV members. The new 5-year strategic plan will be posted on our website once the details are finalised and leaders have accepted the challenge to support ECLAM’s mission. 

WVA Congress online

The 36th World Veterinary Association Congress will now be available online, with two free sessions:

  1. The 7th Global One Health Summit on climate change and its future impact on disease burdens, food security and the economy will be online on 25 April at 20:00 CET. Representatives of several organisations including the WHO, OIE, FAO, WMA and IVSA will be presenters. 
  2. A seminar on Animal Welfare of Equine and Donkeys will be online at 20:00 CET on 2 May.

To register for the free sessions, see https://wvac2020.thewebinarvet.com/free-access-wva-global-one-health-summit/

You may also register for the entire conference at a 20% discount (£77.60+VAT) until the 24th April. For the complete listing and registration, see https://wvac2020.thewebinarvet.com/

Member Discount on CRC Press and Routledge Books

ECLAM Diplomates and Residents can obtain a 20% discount on all books and 35% off all e-books from the publisher (Taylor & Francis). The sitewide offer ends on 31 May. For a list of lab animal science books, see https://tinyurl.com/T-FBooks

To obtain the code for the discount, complete the form below and request the Taylor & Francis code:

[contact-form to=”secretariat@eclam.eu” subject=”Request for Taylor & Francis code”][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea”][/contact-form]

ECLAM Council needs input for strategic plan

Council will meet via teleconference in mid-April to devise a new strategic plan. In order to represent the interests of all Diplomates, an email was sent on 2 April from ECLAM.assistance@gmail.com to all members of the College. However, many of these probably went into Spam folders due to the large number of addresses.

A work-around system is being used to send individual emails, but this is limited to 50 email addresses per day. So, please check your spam/junk email folders for this email! The subject line was: ECLAM strategic plan survey: please respond by Monday 6 April.

The second attempt to get the email to everyone had a similar subject line (Please answer 4 questions for ECLAM). 

Clearly, we need a better mass email system!

Sorry for the inconvenience,

Janet Rodgers, ECLAM Secretariat