Institute of Animal Technology Bulletin G G G G Named Persons Meeting Report IAT Career Pathway John Kelly Obituary AS ET G G G Branch News Situations Vacant Diary Dates Vol 51 No 3 March 2015
Bulletin Vol 51 No 3 March 2015 EDITOR Sarah Lane bulletineditor iat org uk ASSISTANT EDITOR Elaine Kirkum bulletinassistant iat org uk ADVERTISEMENT MANAGERS PRC Associates Ltd mail prcassoc co uk CONTENTS Report on Named Persons Meeting 5 Inaugural Openness in Research Awards 7 13 ISSN 0263 2861 For enquiries other than Bulletin related contact IAT ADMINISTRATOR admin iat org uk or 0800 085 4380 Final copy date for May Bulletin 1st April The opinions expressed in the Bulletin do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or the Institute Career Pathway for Animal Technologists 20 21 Suppliers Register i xliv Obituary Philip John Kelly 22 23 AS ET 25 27 Three Minute Interview 17 19 Branch News 29 34 Situations Vacant Published monthly by the Institute of Animal Technology Registered Office 5 South Parade Summertown Oxford OX2 7JL 36 38 Diary Dates 39
Bulletin March 2015 5 NAMED PERSONS MEETING 29TH JANUARY 2015 Report on the Named Persons Meeting O n 29th January 2015 a tripartite meeting took place for all Named Persons The date of the meeting and the registration forms were co ordinated through the three organisations IAT LASA and LAVA and released on the same day via the separate websites It is always difficult to plan a meeting in January due to concerns over weather conditions My worst fears came to pass on the preceding Sunday evening whilst watching Countryfile when high gales and snow were predicted for the latter part of the week However David Anderson who was instrumental in pulling this meeting together told me to stop being a soft southerner A bit of snow doesn t bring the country to a standstill We did get heavy snow at lunchtime but luckily it didn t settle We chose Birmingham as a central location which proved very popular as it is possible to get there relatively easily Unfortunately the price of holding a meeting together with the cost of travel to and from London at peak times makes holding meetings there very expensive The meeting itself was very successful and was fully booked I would like to thank all the speakers and especially David Anderson and Kathy Ryder for putting the programme together and delivering it on the day The main theme for the meeting was Coping with the new requirements for the Named Persons within different organisational structures Presentations were given by individuals with multiple roles on how the new requirements are working in practice The emphasis then moved to how to ensure appropriate standards and practices are being delivered by the Named Persons and the responsibility of the AWERB in supporting and providing reassurance for these roles After a break for lunch which was excellent a presentation was given on education and training expectations for Named Persons This was followed by details of a new training module in anaesthesia Draft additional guidance notes for Named Persons were discussed There was plenty of time for discussion throughout the day and all presentations and follow up notes are available on the Members section of the three websites Charlie Chambers Chair of Registration and Accreditation Board
Bulletin March 2015 7 Inaugural Openness in Research Awards M embers of the scientific community gathered at the Wellcome Collection in London for the Stephen Paget Memorial Lecture and Openness Awards Ceremony The first time that the lecture has been held since 2008 Ken Applebee Steve Owen Wendy Steel and Norman Mortell attended this prestigious lecture in London on the 1st December 2014 on behalf of the IAT The Lecture was established in 1927 following the death of Stephen Paget founder of UAR forerunner the Research Defence Society Past Paget Lecturers have included Nobel Laureates Sir Howard Florey and Sir Peter Medawar and
8 March 2015 Bulletin renowned evolutionary biologist and science writer Professor Steve Jones It was the 78th Lecture but only the first of what is hoped will become an annual Openness Awards event The evening started with a coffee reception and literature about the evening and the ethical use of animals was available on the surrounding tables This included the programme for the event listing the previous lectures and the order for the evening which cited 4 of the 86 organisations that had signed up to the openness Concordat as examples of good practice The adjacent lecture theatre was the venue for the Openness Awards There were four in total and as they were the first they had to cover a long period of history from the dark days when the animal rights extremists were using aggressive and ultimately illegal tactics In recognition of their courage under extreme aggression and personal targeting long time openness advocate Fiona Fox Director of the Science Media Centre presented the first award to Professor Sir Colin Blakemore Dr Domenico Spina from the British Pharmacological Society presented the second award to the Medical Research Council in recognition of their proactive engagement with the public and the media over many year and their responses to Freedom of Information requests This work has included the first live radio broadcast from inside the animal facility at MRC Harwell during which BBC 5 Live journalist Victoria Derbyshire witnessed a mouse being euthanised live on air
Bulletin March 2015 11 Brian Cass and Huntingdon Life Sciences were presented with the third award by Bernadette Kelly of the Department for Business Innovation and Skills Both richly deserved with Brian dedicating his award to the staff at HLS for their courage and commitment during a concerted campaign against them The final award went to the Chief Executive of Understanding Animal Research Wendy Jarrett who thanked the wider group who had helped to develop the Concordat but also take credit for moving the openness agenda forward at a much quicker pace than had ever been done before The awards mark the start of recognising and sharing best practice with regards to openness and public engagement and the IAT who as co sponsor of this event is proud to be a part of this and to seek ways to support greater public understanding of research Professor Dame Linda Partridge director of the UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing delivered a fascinating lecture on The Science of Healthy Ageing She described her research into ageing and particularly in relation to agerelated diseases with an interesting discussion on her work primarily performed in fruit flies and mice that suggested remedies that halt ageing also stop degenerative diseases Interestingly her prognosis for all of the independent age related research groups was that a collaborative approach
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Bulletin March 2015 13 may enable a more joined up solution This research is ground breaking and together with consideration of lifestyle choices including reducing dietary intake and the benefits of small daily doses of Aspirin it is also looking into the genetics of ageing With an ageing population and increasing costs of care for example research into Dementia is very important for both health and economic reasons This was an excellent lecture giving an insight into the brilliant minds behind the some of the medical breakthroughs The evening ended around 9pm after a closing reception and networking opportunity It was an excellent evening and I hope the start of something much bigger in terms of openness for the research community Norman Mortell Chair IAT Communications Group
Bulletin March 2015 17 Three Minute Interview Name Nikki Stevens Job title IAT Administrator Describe yourself in 3 words Conscientious capable caring What is your earliest memory When I was about four a military band started playing in the village where I was shopping with my mother I had a real aversion to anything military and ran off frightening my mother as she couldn t catch me She followed me and found me at my grandmother s house about half a mile away When you were at school what or who did you want to be and why A kept woman that didn t work out according to plan What was the first music album you bought Having an older brother my music taste was a little beyond my years However the first album I bought for myself was probably something by The Police If you could have dinner with one person who would that be and why Gary Larson the cartoonist responsible for the Far Side cartoons I d love to know where he gets his ideas from and if he is as weird as his creations What is the best advice you have been given When on a night stop as Cabin crew I was told that if the Captain knocked on my door to say he had forgotten his toothpaste I should squeeze toothpaste through the key hole and on no account open the door What is your next goal in life To move back home to Leicestershire
Bulletin March 2015 19 If you could visit anywhere in the world where would you choose and why I have been very lucky and have visited lots of the places on my must see list I particularly enjoyed visiting the Far East China and Japan and I would like to go back to see more of the Terracotta Warriors What is your favourite quote or saying As I am always quoting to my husband Charlie If at first you don t succeed try doing it the way your wife told you What is the most important thing your job has taught you To expect the unexpected Cup of tea or stiff drink Depends on the time of day a peppermint tea or a Vodka and slimline tonic Favourite colour Purple Favourite place People watching in Monaco harbour Last book you read Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel I was trying to get it finished before the television series of Wolf Hall started but failed Name something that annoys you As a dog walker people who don t pick up after their dogs Printable most embarrassing moment There were lots of embarrassing moments when I worked for British Airways Probably the worst one was when I thought I was resting a full and hot teapot on the back of a seat only to find I was actually resting it on a follically challenged gentleman s head My face was red as the top of his head Hobbies or interests Bear making dog walking cooking and reading I also enjoy our annual trip to the Goodwood Revival Meeting and dressing up for the occasion as you can see from the photo
22 March 2015 Bulletin Obituary Philip John Kelly J ohn started work with Huntingdon Research Centre HRC on 25th May 1964 He was employed as a technician in the dog facility and quickly settled in and progressed in his career John sat the IAT Associateship exam in 1967 and won the Harold Ling Memorial prize for the highest achiever at that level for that year HRC gave John a bonus of 50 for his achievements a serious amount in those days He then went on to achieve the Fellowship of the IAT in 1969 John gained much experience and expertise over the years and rose to the position of Chief Technician in dog toxicology Following on from this he became a Specialised Technician before focusing his abilities on training and becoming the education guru that most people remember him for John took up the role of Training Officer and as such provided in house training for the staff at HRC as well as being actively involved in recruitment days and careers evenings In addition John worked in collaboration with Huntingdon Regional College and the National Institute of Medical Research at Mill Hill to introduce and develop animal technician training covering all aspects of animal husbandry and management practices John was involved at all stages of the IAT qualifications including the Certificate Associateship and Fellowship as well as with the BTEC Higher National Certificate He took an active part in all practical and animal handling exams taking pride in his ability to put students at their ease one of John s assets that seemed to come naturally to him He took great delight in seeing students across the UK developing their careers in animal technology and helping them to achieve their full potential In association with his teaching and training activities John was heavily involved with the IAT Council serving at different times as Vice Chair and Chair of the Fellowship Board He was also involved with all examination Boards and the Board of Moderators John was instrumental in the development of the training manual Principals of Animal Technology John enjoyed real ale much of it at his local The Swan at Weston in short he enjoyed life John will be sadly missed and remembered for his many achievements particularly by the untold number of young technicians he assisted in their career development and self progression Our condolences go to John s family but his legacy lives on Steve Owen and Wendy Steel
Bulletin March 2015 23 John Kelly died in November 2014 after a long and debilitating illness John served as an IAT Council member for many years and was active on the Examination Board He worked hard for the IAT but always quietly and in the background As a result many members were and are unaware of the extent of John s influence on incrementally improving the status of animal technicians The IAT has much to be grateful for in John s contribution to our progress John will perhaps be best remembered for his piquant sense of humour One of his favourite and often devastatingly true comments was Thuddled Minking a phrase which has passed into the language for some of us Dorothy P Woodnott
Bulletin March 2015 25 AS ET 5th Anniversary Year AS ET Charity Ball Make sure you book early for the AS ET Charity Ball It will be held on 5th September 2015 at the Hilton London Metropole Hotel There will be dinner guest speaker a charity auction and music and dancing till late We hope you will come to have a good time and help raise money for AS ET Tickets cost 75 each including VAT Tables seat 10 so you might like to consider booking a table so you can bring clients or even all the family Alternatively you will be just as welcome if you come on your own Tickets are proving popular so book early so avoid disappointment For more information and to book your ticket contact Elaine at Elaine lbs biotech com Win two tickets for the AS ET Charity Ball If you sign up to become an Official Supporter of AS ET before June 2015 you will be entered into a prize draw for two tickets for the ball and a night at the Hilton Metropole Hotel This prize is worth approximately 300 00 New supporters donate a minimum of 24 00 a year by standing order and get a personal copy of the AS ET Newsletter an AS ET wristband and an invitation to the AS ET reception at the IAT Congress If you join at the IAT Congress you can become an official supporter for a minimum of 12 00 a year Become a supporter and help us continue to support education and promote excellence in the care and welfare of animals used in science Standing order forms can be downloaded from our website www as et org uk
Bulletin March 2015 27 AS ET is a charity to advance education and promote excellence in the care and welfare of animals used in science Sponsors of AS ET are listed below and to find out more please visit the website www as et org uk
Bulletin March 2015 29 IAT Cambridge Branch 2015 Annual General Meeting and Quiz Night O n Wednesday 4th February 2015 in a new venue the University Technical College UTC Cambridge the IAT Cambridge Branch held its AGM and quiz night The night was kindly sponsored by Vet Tech Solutions and The MMM Group who were provided with space to exhibit their wares At 5 45pm the UTC lecture theatre was filling with teams eager to get quizzical The AGM started at 6pm with reports from the Branch Chair Secretary and Treasurer being presented The Branch committee saw three members stand down and one new member join for 2015
30 March 2015 Bulletin Following the AGM there was an opportunity to see the extremely popular presentation from the 2014 IAT Joint HNS and Cambridge Branch Symposium from two University of Cambridge animal technicians on the Naked Mole Rat It was then time to go into general knowledge battle in hope of winning the much desired quiz shield and the recognition of superior minds With eight rounds including the British Royal family USA states music animal technology and garden birds knowledge was tested to the maximum With no catering service available for the evening at 7 30pm 46 fresh large pizzas were delivered and sorted for the hungry teams A variety of drinks were provided by the Branch with a polite request for donations to AS ET as a contribution Having refreshed and refuelled the quiz continued The excitement climaxed with an interesting round of True or False There was then time for the raffle draw for a selection of amusing prizes including a 2015 Michael Buble calendar
Bulletin March 2015 31 Having built the tension the podium places were announced In joint 3rd place were Howling Mouse and Sponsors with a score of 52 90 In 2nd place were Quizralites with a score of 53 90 and the 2015 quiz winners were Jeff s B tches with a score 54 90 The team were presented with the winners quiz shield by the sponsors A happy and intelligent troop In last place were Stem Cell Superstars with a score of 33 90 winning the 2015 wooden spoon The Branch would like to extend a special thanks to Robin as quiz master for providing a brain taxing set of questions and Lynn his glamorous assistant for keeping the scores Many thanks again to the sponsors for kindly providing funds for the venue hire and much welcomed pizza The IAT Cambridge Branch wishes you a prosperous 2015 and look forward to greeting you at one of our events Keep an eye on the IAT Bulletin for announcements or email cambridgebranch iat org uk if you would like to be added to the communications list Sam Jameson Branch Reporter
Bulletin March 2015 33 This Xmas you will be sleeping with the fishes W ell actually we dined with the fishes at the IAT North East of England branch Christmas Party on Friday 5th December at The Deep in Hull 33 branch members from all over the North of England and some from further afield gathered for a delightful Festive feast surrounded by sharks and rays This was a little off putting when one of the starters was a crayfish and smoked salmon terrine I m sure some of the sharks were giving me the evil eye The selection of the usual Christmas main courses for most of the attendees was followed by a delightful cheese board which was very tasty indeed Following the meal many of the attendees took great delight in having a few comical photographs taken including Nathan doing some karaoke with an inflatable pink microphone but then this is exactly the kind of behaviour that we have come to expect from Mr Hill Great fun was had by all with the dress
34 March 2015 Bulletin up photo booth causing much hilarity as the images flashed up in the huge screen behind the DJ The night was rounded off with a few moves being pulled on the dance floor and possibly a few muscles too Our thanks go to the North East branch committee for organising the event especially our treasurer Judith who co ordinated all of the finances and meal choices The venue was fantastic The Deep in Hull has one of the largest main fish tanks in Europe that not only has a walk through tunnel but also a perspex viewing lift A spectacular venue great food and company and the opportunity to take a breather from the music and dancing to view some excellent and amazing aquatic exhibits A good night was once again had by all and I m sure another great night will be had to finish off 2015 Norman Mortell Branch Reporter
Bulletin March 2015 DIARY Dates 8 April Establishment Licence Holders Forum Spring Meeting London Details from info lasa co uk 16 June Genetics Breeding and Welfare of Laboratory Mice Cambridge Details from www nc3rs org uk 21 April LASA Animal Science Section LAVA Joint Meeting on Severity Assessment South East England Details from info lasa co uk 19 June LASA Care and Welfare Section LSHTM Biocontainment Meeting London Details from info lasa co uk 20 May IAT Branch Reps Meeting London Details from www iat org uk 3 5 June AFSTAL Annual Scientific Meeting Lille France Details from www colloque afstal com 2015 9 12 June Scand LAS Annual Scientific Meeting Turku Finland Details from www scandlas org 5 September Charity Ball London Details from elaine lbs biotech com 23 September LASA 3Rs Meeting Birth to Study 3Rs Animal Development and Transport South of England Details from info lasa co uk 25 27 November LASA Winter Meeting South of England Details from info lasa co uk Cover photo Golden mantled Ground Squirrel Alistair Thompson 39