Thursday, 3 December 2026 · 14:00-15:00 CET
Thursday, 3 December 2026 · 14:00-15:00 CET
Embedded Files
'HANDS'-on Refinements
'HANDS'-on Refinements
— Incorporating Innovations to Improve Rodent Welfare
Veterinary and Critical Care Refinements
Free webinar (via Google Meet)
Up to 1,000 registered participants
First 500 to log in will have interactive access (full participation)
Additional participants will join in view-only mode
Recording available exclusively to registered participants
Certificates of attendance provided to all live attendees (interactive and view-only)
Speaker
Speaker
F. Claire Hankenson, DVM, MS, MFA, DACLAM, is the Associate Vice Provost for Research and Executive Director of University Laboratory Animal Resources at the University of Pennsylvania. She serves as the Attending Veterinarian and holds a faculty position as Professor and Division Chief of Comparative Medicine & Research within the Department of Pathobiology at the School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Hankenson has served on AALAS committees, including the Editorial Review Board; served on the ACLAM Executive Board and as ACLAM President; and serves as an ad hoc visitor and Member Organization Delegate with AAALAC. She is a past Chair of the Board of Directors of Public Responsibility in Medicine & Research (PRIM&R) and was recently appointed to the National Academies' Life Sciences and Biotechnology Advisory Committee. Dr. Hankenson earned her veterinary degree from Purdue University, completed her MS in Microbiology and residency at the University of Washington, her MFA at Pacific Lutheran University, and is certified as a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.
Abstract
Abstract
After reviewing the past decade of veterinary and laboratory animal literature, five themes (identified by the acronym HANDS) have emerged in innovation and refinements for research rodents. This webinar provides an operational overview of veterinary and critical care refinements tailored specifically for laboratory mice and rats. Attendees will learn actionable techniques to improve rodent welfare and patient care. Key focal points include aspects of Handling, Analgesia, Nutrition, Digital transformation, and Surgical support. Emphasizing practical 3Rs refinements and highlighting evidence-based findings from our global lab animal science community, this session equips researchers, veterinarians, and technicians with essential skills to stabilize compromised rodents and accelerate post-procedural recovery.
Selected references:
Hankenson, F.C. (2024). The elephant in the room: recognition and documentation of personnel practices that confound reproducibility. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (JAALAS), 63(3), 232–237
Hankenson, F.C., Marx, J.O., Gordon, C.J., & David, J.M. (2018). Effects of rodent thermoregulation on animal models in the research environment. Comparative Medicine, 68(6), 425–438
Hankenson, F.C. (2013). Critical Care Management for Laboratory Mice and Rats (1st ed.). CRC Press.
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
Review gentle handling for patient assessments
Select adequate and appropriate nutritional supplementation
Apply oxygen and active warming techniques to boost surgical recovery times
Consider advantages of remote monitoring and less invasive interventions
Integrate multimodal analgesia and nursing care into post-procedural protocols
Key takeaways
Key takeaways
Handling options should be practical, non-aversive, and comfortable for the rodent patient; handlers should be moving away from tail and scruff restraint practices
Sustained-release medications can provide extended coverage for post-procedural discomfort and pain
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