GALVESTON, Texas - The Texas Society for Biomedical Research will present its Distinguished Service Award for 2008 to the staff of the Animal Resources Center at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
"We have chosen to honor this group for their selfless devotion to duty and for the extraordinary care they provided to research animals during Hurricane Ike and after the storm," said Lorraine Hough, the society's executive director.William Masters, director of the ARC, said, "The animal care staff like so many of UTMB's people worked above and beyond all expectations in extremely difficult circumstances and managed to stay focused on doing a good job," he said.The research center housed numerous animals prior to Hurricane Ike's landfall, Masters said. Although some animals were hastily relocated to Houston, most were cared for by the seven-member "ride-out" team, which worked 12-15-hour shifts. Relief teams arrived the Wednesday after the storm to make similar, important contributions, he added. Lack of running water, power, elevators and other hazardous conditions brought on by the storm complicated the animal care efforts. Members of the animal care team continued to work despite that fact that many had lost their homes.
The Texas Society for Biomedical Research is the only nonprofit organization in Texas dedicated to advocating the vital role of the humane care of animals in biomedical research. Founded in 1989, the TSBR provides the collective voice for the scientific community regarding the use of animals in research, education and consumer product evaluation. Working closely with its membership of public and private institutions and organizations, the TSBR promotes grassroots support among universities, medical/veterinary medical school(s), teaching hospitals, voluntary health organizations, professional societies and other research-related entities.