Accept the Challenge to Care
Careers in
Biomedical Research
What is biomedical research?

Biomedical researchers study ways to
prevent, treat and cure diseases that
cause illness and death in...
◦ People
◦ Animals
Who conducts biomedical research?
 Physicians
 Scientists
 Research Technicians
 Computer
 Engineers
Scientists
Who conducts biomedical research?
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Veterinarians
Who conducts biomedical research?
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Laboratory Animal Science Technicians
What is laboratory animal science?

Lab animal science is the area of biomedical
research that specializes in the humane care
and responsible use of animals for medical
research, testing and teaching.
What are the three Rs?
Replacement
 Reduction
 Refinement
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“Provide the BEST QUALITY of life
possible without compromising
the integrity of the study”
Careers in Lab Animal Science
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Lab Animal Veterinarian
Lab Animal Veterinary Technician
Vivarium Supervisor/Manager
Lab Animal Care Technician
Vivarium Support Technician
Animal Behaviorist
Environmental Enrichment Technician
Lab Animal Training/Education Specialist
Lab Animal Administrative Support
Computer Science/IT Support
Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Lab Animal Veterinarian

General responsibilities:
◦ Develop, implement and control procedures
related to acquisition, maintenance and
quarantine of lab animals.
◦ Provide medical care to lab animals.
Lab Animal Veterinarian

General responsibilities:
◦ Serve as consultants and assist researchers
with veterinary procedures for their studies.
◦ Perform independent studies.
◦ Participate in product development.
Lab Animal Veterinarian
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Where needed:
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Academia: private and state schools
Biotechnology/pharmaceutical firms
Medical/Veterinary Medical schools
Government/military agencies; e.g., NIH,
CDC, USDA
◦ Commercial vendors; e.g., purpose-bred
animals, lab animal product suppliers
Lab Animal Veterinarian

Minimum requirements:
◦ Graduate degree; e.g., DVM
◦ Veterinary experience
◦ AALAS certification encouraged/required

Potential Earnings:
*$60,000 - $140,000+
* Salaries commensurate with education, experience and region of employment.
Lab Animal Vet Tech
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General responsibilities:
◦ Provide daily animal health evaluations.
◦ Administer medications/treatments.
◦ Maintain animal health records.
Lab Animal Vet Tech
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General responsibilities:
◦ Serve as consultants and assist researchers
and veterinarians with technical/surgical
procedures.
◦ Provide technical training to research and
support personnel.
Lab Animal Vet Tech
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Where needed:
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Academia: private and state schools
Biotechnology/pharmaceutical firms
Medical/Veterinary Medical schools
Government/military agencies; e.g., NIH,
CDC, USDA
◦ Commercial vendors; e.g., purpose-bred
animals, lab animal product suppliers
Lab Animal Vet Tech
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Minimum requirements:
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HS diploma
2 or 4 year college degree in some cases
Hands-on animal experience
AALAS certification encouraged/required
Potential Earnings:
*$20,000 - $45,000+
* Salaries commensurate with education, experience and region of employment.
Vivarium Supervisor/Manager
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General responsibilities:
◦ Provide daily oversight of staff, operations
and facility maintenance.
 Assure that standard operating procedures
(SOPs) are complete, current and accurate.
 Ensure that occupational health and safety
procedures are followed.
Vivarium Supervisor/Manager
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General responsibilities:
◦ Provide daily oversight of staff, operations and
facility maintenance.
 Monitor vivarium and coordinate preventive
maintenance and repairs.
 Personnel management: e.g., hiring, promotions,
training, disciplinary actions.
◦ Ensure overall compliance with federal, state
and local regulations.
Vivarium Supervisor/Manager
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Where needed:
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Academia: private and state schools
Biotechnology/pharmaceutical firms
Medical/Veterinary Medical schools
Government/military agencies; e.g., NIH,
CDC, USDA
◦ Commercial vendors; e.g., purpose-bred
animals, lab animal product suppliers
Vivarium Supervisor/Manager
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Minimum requirements:
◦ 4 year college degree or experience
equivalent
◦ Hands-on lab animal experience
◦ AALAS certification required
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Potential Earnings:
*$25,000 - $80,000+
* Salaries commensurate with education, experience and region of employment.
Lab Animal Care Technician
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General responsibilities:
◦ Daily observations for general health and
“well-being”.
◦ Maintain open lines of verbal/written
communication with management, research
and veterinary personnel regarding animal
health and well-being.
Lab Animal Care Technician
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General responsibilities:
◦ Provide daily nutritional provisions.
◦ Maintain clean and safe animal quarters and
equipment.
◦ Maintain animal records.
Lab Animal Care Technician
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General responsibilities:
◦ Provide exercise and
environmental enrichment.
◦ Assist with technical
procedures.
◦ Breeding/colony management.
Lab Animal Care Technician
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Where needed:
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Academia: private and state schools
Biotechnology/pharmaceutical firms
Medical/Veterinary Medical schools
Government/military agencies; e.g., NIH,
CDC, USDA
◦ Commercial vendors; e.g., purpose-bred
animals, lab animal product suppliers
Lab Animal Care Technician

Minimum requirements:
◦ HS diploma preferred.
◦ AALAS certification encouraged/required
after one year of experience.
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Potential Earnings:
* $18,000 - $35,000+
* Salaries commensurate with education, experience and region of employment.
Vivarium Support Technician
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General responsibilities:
◦ Sanitize/sterilize lab animal supplies.
◦ Prepare water, feed and caging for animal
housing according to animal protocol
requirements.
◦ Maintain feed/bedding supplies and
monitor expiration dates.
Vivarium Support Technician
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General responsibilities:
◦ Ensure proper functioning of cage wash
equipment; e.g., bulk autoclaves, rack/tunnel
washers, bottle fillers, robots.
◦ Provide routine maintenance on cage wash,
animal housing and
transport equipment.
Vivarium Support Technician
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General responsibilities:
◦ Shipping/receiving of supplies and animals
according to regulatory guidelines and
requirements.
Vivarium Support Technician
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Where needed:
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Academia: private and state schools
Biotechnology/pharmaceutical firms
Medical/Veterinary Medical schools
Government/military agencies; e.g., NIH,
CDC, USDA
◦ Commercial vendors; e.g., purpose-bred
animals, lab animal product suppliers
Vivarium Support Technician

Minimum requirements:
◦ HS diploma preferred.
◦ AALAS certification encouraged/required
after one year of experience.
◦ Commercial Driver License.

Potential Earnings:
*$18,000 - $35,000+
* Salaries commensurate with education, experience and region of employment.
More Careers in Lab Animal Science
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Animal Behaviorist: creates exercise and
enrichment programs designed to address speciesspecific behavioral needs and promote psychological
well-being in laboratory animals.
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Environmental Enrichment Technician:
provides exercise and enrichment to lab animals
under the guidance of an Animal Behaviorist.
More Careers in Lab Animal Science
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Lab Animal Training/Education Specialist:
develops, implements and maintains a comprehensive
training and education program to ensure that
everyone working with lab animals has the required
skill and understanding to do so within the regulatory
guidelines.
More Careers in Lab Animal Science
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Lab Animal Administrative Support: animal
procurement, tracking and exports; materials management;
fiscal management of operation; human resources; security
control; generate reports for federal, state and local
authorities.
More Careers in Lab Animal Science
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Graphic Design/IT Support: web page and
graphic design; develop/maintain operations
management and database software; support online
training and communication between researchers and
lab animal care specialists.
More Careers in Lab Animal Science
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Regulatory Affairs Specialist: experts in
compliance requirements. Inform, monitor and police
operations to ensure that all animal work is
performed according to federal, state and local
regulations/guidelines.
AALAS Training and Certification
CMAR
LATG
HS/GED +10yr
AA/AS +8yr
BA/BS +5yr
HS/GED +5yr
AA/AS +4yr
BA/BS +3yr
+0.5 yr
LAT
HS/GED +3yr
AA/AS +2yr
BA/BS +1yr
ALAT
No HS/GED +2yr
HS/GED +1yr
+0.5 yr
It’s not a job. It’s a career!
Director
$100,000 - $200,000+
Lab Animal Vet
Operations Manager
$60,000 - $140,000+
$60,000 - $120,000+
Lab Animal Vet Tech
Supervisor
Vivarium Manager
$50,000 - $80,000+
$30,000 - $50,000+
Lab Animal Vet Tech
Vivarium Supervisor
$20,000 - $45,000+
$25,000 - $50,000+
Lab Animal Care Tech
Vivarium Support Tech
$18,000 - $35,000+
$18,000 - $35,000+
Acknowledgements/Links
Content for this presentation was contributed by:
American Association for Laboratory Animal Science
www.aalas.org
AALAS Foundation
www.foundation.aalas.org
California Society for Biomedical Research
www.ca-biomed.org/csbr
States United for Biomedical Research
www.statesforbiomed.org
Foundation for Biomedical Research
www.fbr.org
Texas Society for Biomedical Research
www.tsbr.org
Special thanks to:
Lorraine Hough
Executive Director, Texas Society for Biomedical Research
Cindy Buckmaster, PhD, RLATG, CMAR
Associate Director for Training and Operations, Center for Center for Comparative Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine
Teresa Neubauer, AA, RLATG
Senior Training Specialist and Health Monitoring Surveillance Manager, Baylor College of Medicine
Photo credits:
Scott Buss, Baylor College of Medicine
Javier Chavez, SoBran, Inc.
Texas A&M University Office of Public Affairs