An ethical committee, titled ‘Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee’ (IACUC) at the Equine Veterinary Medical Center (EVMC), a member of Qatar Foundation, has been established after receiving approvals and authorisation from 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, according to a press statement.
A group of Board-certified veterinarians offers 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 Weill 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 the College of Health and Life Sciences at 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 at EVMC, added: “EVMC now has an ethical committee and is recognised 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 Haemorrhage 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 under way.
These include work on regenerative medicine, internal medicine and neonatology.

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