2017 LAVA-ESLAV-ECLAM Conference on Reproducibility of Animal Studies

Dear Colleagues,

We hope that 2017 has started well and that it will continue to bring you happiness and professional success.

This year the Laboratory Animals Veterinary Association (LAVA), the European Society of Laboratory Animal Veterinarians (ESLAV) and the European College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ECLAM) will join efforts in what we hope will be an important milestone in the future of animals in research. The three associations are organising their 2017 LAVA-ESLAV-ECLAM Conference themed on Reproducibility of Animal Studies.

We look forward to welcoming you to the 2017 LAVA-ESLAV-ECLAM Annual Scientific Meeting will take place from the 25^th to the 26^th of September in Edinburgh, Scotland. This year, the theme of Reproducibility of Animal Studies has been chosen as it represents one of the key aspects in the future of Science. Edinburgh is a city that is easily accessible by air and by train, and is the capital of Scotland, a country renowned by the friendliness of its people and its cultural heritage.

The scientific programme will start on the morning of 25^th September by a keynote lecture by Professor Malcolm McLeod. The main goal of the conference will be to demonstrate how we, as veterinarians and scientists, can positively impact the “Reproducibility of Animal Studies”. The meeting will focus on five main areas of animal studies:

i)                Perspective on reproducibility from funding bodies and regulators;

ii)               Influence of designated veterinary surgeons on reproducibility;

iii)             Influence on reproducibility of husbandry and animal welfare;

iv)              Responsible research;

v)               Experimental design.

Confirmed speakers include Keynote Speaker Professor Malcolm Macleod, CAMARADES, University of Edinburgh, UK; Professor Hanno Würbel, University of Bern, Switzerland; Professor Dr Harald Schmidt, Maastricht University, the Netherlands; Dr Janet Rodgers, ECLAM, UK; Dr Kathleen Pritchett-Corning, Harvard University, USA; Professor Axel Kornerup Hansen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Prof Adrian Smith, NORECOPA, Norway; Dr Penny Hawkins, RSPCA, UK; Professor Merel Ritskes-Hoitinga, SYRCLE, Radboud University Medical Center, the Netherlands; Dr Nicky Osborne, Responsible Research in Practice, UK; Dr Stuart Ritchie, University of Edinburgh, UK; Professor Nick Colegrave, University of Edinburgh, UK. The programme and high quality speakers will attract many professionals with an interest in improving research done on animals, making the event a unique opportunity for networking and exchanging of ideas.

We look forward to seeing in Edinburgh on 25-26^th September.

Best regards,

Belinda Farnfield                    Jose M. Sanchez Morgado                                       Ghislaine Poirier

LAVA President                      ESLAV President                                                       ECLAM Past -President