Enhanced Imaging Resources for Clinical Care of Research Animals

Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem NC

Investigators

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We are requesting funds to modernize and enhance image capture, storage and sharing capabilities in support of clinical care of nonhuman primates (NHP) and other species at the Wake Forest Center for Comparative Medicine and Research (CCMR) and to facilitate communication and consultation with colleagues at other Wake Forest campuses. We also request ancillary pathology equipment to improve the efficiency and accuracy of microtomy and sample tracking. The CCMR is the academic home for the faculty of the Section on Comparative Medicine and includes as members most Wake Forest researchers who employ NHP models. The mission of the CCMR is to develop and facilitate the application of animal models for diseases of human relevance, with a focus on NHPs. The CCMR houses the majority of the institution's NHPs and the associated veterinary clinical care facilities, as wll as the Comparative Pathology Core Laboratory. This laboratory, in turn, supports all animal research at WFSM and provides histopathology technical services and consultation to numerous intramural and extramural investigators. At present the CCMR has limited capabilities for capture, sharing, and management of diagnostic images. The planned improvements will enable modern networked telemedicine approaches within the Wake Forest system, nationally, and internationally. Specific aims are: 1. To provide state of the art clinical imaging capabilitie to enhance veterinary care, research, and training. The equipment proposed will enhance our ability to provide high quality, minimally invasive clinical diagnostics by use of ultrasound, digial x-ray, and digital ophthalmoscopy and will allow us to share and analyze clinical images with clinical colleagues, WFSM researchers and extramural consultants and collaborators. 2. To provide virtual histology capabilities in support of diagnostic pathology, research and training. Pathology at the CCMR has a national and international reach in terms of service, training and inter- institutional diagnostic and research collaboration. Web-based access to virtual histologic sections will improve our ability to both seek and provide consultation, and will facilitate documentation, analysis and publication of histologic findings. 3. To apply elements of sustainable design by incorporating energy efficient equipment and better techniques to minimize our long-term impact on the environment. These include a digital x-ray processing versus chemical processing; and incorporation of new data streams into our secure electronic image data management system that will reduce the environmental impact of physically exchanging samples and media. The equipment requested will support the clinical care of ~800 NHPs and other species, as part of an integrated electronic records and imaging network designed to optimize clinical communication across a multi- campus institution in support of multiple clinical areas and research groups. Research programs that would benefit from this proposal include: Cardiovascular Disease, Radiation Late Effects, Diabetes, Female Reproductive Medicine, Cancer Biology, Substance Abuse and Regenerative Medicine. In addition, the proposed improvements would support two national research resources funded by the NIH: 1) the pedigreed and genotyped Vervet Research Colony (VRC); and 2) the Radiation Countermeasures Primate Core. Beneficiaries of these enhanced imaging capabilities would include not only local Wake Forest School of Medicine (WFSM) animals, clinical staff, and researchers, but also a regional and nationwide network of NIH- funded investigators and collaborators, as well as international collaborators. The enhanced imaging capabilities will also serve residency training programs in laboratory animal medicine, veterinary pathology, two veterinary research training programs (including a T35 for veterinary students and a T32 program focused on post-DVM research training), and other NIH-funded training programs.