UConn Told To Return Funds

[Guest guest]

UConn Told To Return Funds Violations Of Animal Welfare Rules Prompt Order Against Health Center By GRACE E. MERRITT | Courant Staff Writer January 25, 2008 FARMINGTON — - The National Institutes of Health has ordered the University of Connecticut Health Center to return some of the grant money given for brain experiments on monkeys, because of

violations of animal welfare regulations.The federal agency asked UConn this week to return $65,005 of the grant because of violations in the primate lab, where researchers drilled holes into monkeys' skulls and implanted steel coils into their brains to record eye movements for a neuroscience experiment.The university, which voluntarily stopped the research in August 2006, may appeal the decision. "We are considering different options, including an appeal of this," said Carolyn Pennington, a health center communications officer. "They provided very little details and we want to learn more about what our possible options are."The lead researcher, David Waitzman, has received about $1.7 million in federal funds since 1992, but is being asked to return grant money to cover only the period when violations were found.The USDA fined the

health center $5,532 last summer for seven violations found during inspections in October 2006 and last January. Federal inspectors found the health center failed to handle animals "in a manner that did not cause stress, trauma, and unnecessary discomfort," inadequately trained personnel, used outdated drugs and animal food, and kept animals in a dirty room with peeling paint. Two of the three monkeys involved in the research died.The NIH's action came in response to a complaint by former UConn graduate student Justin Goodman, now a research associate for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Goodman, whose complaints also prompted the USDA inspections, noted that the NIH does not allow grants to be awarded to animal welfare violators. Goodman is also calling for Waitzman to be barred from receiving future federal funding."He's shown time and time again that he can't keep up his end of the agreement. People who abuse animals in their homes, they

receive fines and they are prohibited from having future contact with animals. We think the same rules should apply to people who wear lab coats," Goodman said. The research, which was funded by the National Eye Institute, a branch of the NIH, studied the coordinated control of the eyes by the brain to direct the center of gaze. It was designed to help clinicians diagnose and treat stroke, progressive supranuclear palsy and other diseases.The university's own animal care committee investigated the USDA findings at the time and made several recommendations. Waitzman, who was given a letter of reprimand, ran out of funding and voluntarily stopped the research in August. 2006. This summer, Waitzman was promoted from associate professor to full professor. Contact Grace E. Merritt at gmerritt The question is not,Can they reason? nor,Can they talk? but,Can they suffer? Jeremy

Bentham