A horse seen at the equine exercise center at Al Shaqab.
An Ethical Committee, titled ‘Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee’ (IACUC) at the Equine Veterinary Medical Center (EVMC), that is a member of Qatar Foundation, has been established after receiving approvals and authorizations by the Ministry of Public Health.
EVMC comprises a state-of-the-art equine referral hospital, veterinary diagnostic laboratory, and a research department, and is located within Al Shaqab’s world-class equine facilities. A group of Board-certified veterinarians offer various services including surgery, internal medicine, diagnostic imaging, reproduction, and sports medicine, among others. While clinicians dedicate a majority of their time to patients, they are also involved in research and educational activities.
Members of the IACUC include veterinarians; researchers; members of EVMC; Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU); Sidra Medicine and Weil Cornell Medicine – Qatar among others. The IACUC will oversee research, including the review and approval of animal-use activities, and the inspection of animal facilities.
Dr Edward Stuenkel, Dean of College of Health and Life Sciences, HBKU, said, “We are extremely proud of this achievement, which was possible due to the joint efforts of EVMC, HBKU, and HBKU’s Qatar Biomedical Research Institute,” Dr Tatiana Vinardell, Head of Research and Education, EVMC, added, “EVMC now has an ethical committee and is recognized as an official research institution in Qatar.”
This achievement has been followed by the completion of the first IACUC-approved research project: Oxygen Consumption, Physiological Response and Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage in Swimming Horses. The research study was a collaboration between EVMC, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary, and the Al Shaqab Endurance Department.
Three other projects have been approved by the IACUC and are underway. They include work on regenerative medicine, internal medicine, and neonatology.
