Laboratory Animal Neuroscience and Neurosurgery

The course is a function A/B/D course according to the EU Directive 2010/63 /EU Article 23.2  (previously designated category C) accredited by the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations and approved by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries under the Danish Government. 

The course gives as practical and theoretic introduction to handling, housing and using laboratory animals and how to replace, refine and reduce the use of live animals for research. 

The course also covers a practical and theoretical introduction to invasive rodent brain surgery and other procedures related to rodent neuroscience.

The course adheres to the more detailed learning outcomes described in the EU guidance paper 'A working document on the development of a common education and training framework to fulfill the requirements under the Directive' ( https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/fca9ae7f-2554-11e9-8d04-01aa75ed71a1 ).

After completing the course the student is expected to:

Knowledge 

• understand that animal experimentation is complicated and requires current training to secure the well-being of the animals and the scientific outcome 
• explain the biological basis of laboratory animal breeding and maintenance, housing and management including basic genetics and reproduction, health monitoring, housing and handling (pre-, intra and post-procedural)
• explain the legal basis for animal experimentation 
• explain and critically evaluate the scientific methods applied within animal experimentation including blood sampling, injections, principles for drug-development and testing, anesthesia and analgesia and evaluation of pain  and stress related behaviour in laboratory animals 
• discuss the basic biology of laboratory animals including behavioural and physiological needs
• explain and critically evaluate basic knowledge relating to design and evaluation of studies using live animals
• give examples of commonly applied animal models
• know how rodent brain surgery is performed using brain coordinates and Kopf instrument. 

Skills

• organize self-training on handling and procedures in the most common laboratory animals 
• discuss and evaluate the basic principles on how to use animals for research and brain research 
• discuss and evaluate principles of procedures on their future experiments 
• discuss, evaluate and argue about the ethical basis for the use of animals for research 
   

Competencies 

• independently take responsibility to implement and further develop practical skills in handling of common rodents used for research 
• independently take responsibility to implement and further develop practical skills in the performance of basic animal experiments 
• achieve a personal license to independently plan, implement and take responsibility for the design and performance of animal experimentation within the European Union according to the EU Directive 2010/63/EU Article 23.2 and the Danish executive order No 2028 of 14/12/2020, §56