At the end of July, the Institute of Physiology of the CAS (IPHYS CAS) hosted a summer school focused on veterinary care for laboratory animals. Our colleague Andrej Litvinec, the veterinarian at our institute, was among the participants.
The event, organised by the European Society of Laboratory Animal Veterinarians (ESLAV) and the European College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ECLAM), focused on the latest findings in anaesthesia and laboratory animal care, as well as on ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare. The 3Rs – Replacement, Reduction and Refinement – played an important role in the programme, which included workshops and lectures. These principles involve replacing the use of laboratory animals, for example with computer models, reducing the number of animals used, and ensuring the best possible living conditions for these silent heroes of research.
Forty veterinarians from 11 European countries participated in the summer school. The programme also included lectures by a number of world-renowned experts, including Professor Paul Flecknell of Newcastle University, Professor Cholawat Pacharinsak of Stanford University and Daniel Ruiz Pérez of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
We thank the IPHYS CAS for organising the event and believe that the programme provided valuable new insights into laboratory animal care.
25. 08. 2026
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