On March 7 and 8, 2023, Laboratory Animal Facility and Management (LAFAM) at the Faculty of Pharmacy, UiTM Puncak Alam conducted a workshop on the care and use of laboratory rodents. The event was organised with blended lectures and hands-on practical conducted by well-known experts in the fields of rodent husbandry, management, behaviour, medicine, surgery, and post-mortem. This workshop was conducted to highlight the importance of the care and use of laboratory rodents in research. It provided training on how to conduct basic procedures on rodents such as proper restraint techniques, substance dose administration via oral gavage, blood collection techniques, anaesthesia, and euthanasia. This workshop was anticipated to help researchers to improve the quality of their research and to provide a guide on animal ethics. Additionally, the workshop also provided an opportunity for researchers to gain a better understanding of the importance of proper animal care and the ethical considerations that must be taken into account when conducting research involving animals.
A total of 17 participants from the different faculties in UiTM namely Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry and Faculty of Applied Science, as well as from other national universities namely Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Quest International University (QIU), participated in this workshop. The workshop was officiated by the Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation, Faculty of Pharmacy, Professor Dr. Kalavathy Ramasamy, Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation. The lectures were delivered by Dr. John Shia Kwong Siew and Associate Professor Dato’ Dr. Vellayan Subramaniam from Faculty of Pharmacy, Professor Goh Yong Meng from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and Dr. Raymond Leong from Prima Nexus Sdn. Bhd. These experts provided their valuable insights into the care and use of laboratory rodents.
It was a pleasant surprise to see the Faculty of Pharmacy UiTM Dean, Professor Dato’ Dr. Abu Bakar Abdul Majeed, on the second day of the workshop. He addressed the participants and reminisced about his experiences with laboratory rodents from 40 years ago. He also met Mr. Mihir Kachwala from UNIMED Sdn. Bhd. and they exchanged information on future conferences collaborations. The Dean has a keen interest in the development of LAFAM for the near future. LAFAM is currently supported by a veterinary officer and six assistant veterinary officers. Together with an experienced pharmacologist, Associate Professor Dr. Hanish Singh Jayasingh Chellammal, the LAFAM staff conducted demonstrations and hands-on practical for the participants.
The workshop was a success and the organisers received positive feedback from the participants. During the closing ceremony, certificates were presented to all participants with the results of the practical examination. Prizes were given to the participant that was the most skilful and the participant with the highest mark in assessment. The 17th Rodent Workshop was officially closed by the coordinator of LAFAM, Associate Professor Dato’ Dr. Vellayan Subramaniam.
