Merlin E. Ekstrom, DVM, MS, DACVP, director of WSU’s Division of Laboratory Animal Resources, recently received a $632,778 award from NIH’s National Center for Research Resources for the project, “Modernization and Upgrading – C.S. Mott Center Vivarium.” Of the 115 applications received by NCRR, Dr. Ekstrom’s proposal was one of 28 projects funded.

This grant will continue improvements being made in the C.S. Mott Center, which will allow WSU to maintain and enhance our national leadership role in reproductive research and research training. The improvements that will be funded from this grant include a dedicated heating, ventilation and air cooling system which will accommodate a ventilated cage rack system with air exhausting to the building exhaust system; electrical upgrades to facilitate accommodation of ventilated racks and HEPA filtered laminar air flow cage systems; new lighting and fixtures; new ceilings; a new cage/rack washer; installation of a new large capacity autoclave in the cage wash area; installation of an automatic watering system; purchase of four ventilated cage rack units and four laminar air flow cage change stations; and modifications of restrooms to meet ADA compliance requirements. These improvements, along with previous improvements including an installed back-up power system, will provide a facility meeting the projected needs of animal research based at the Mott Center for the next two to three decades.

In addition to this grant, Dr. Ekstrom was selected as the 2005 recipient of the Science Education Award from the Michigan Society for Medical Research (MISMR). This award is given to honor individuals who have made contributions to advocacy programs that promote and support science and science education. It is awarded to help the public understand why biomedical research and testing, including the appropriate use of animals is so important in the search for new and better ways to treat the diseases that afflict both people and animals and the benefits we all derived from that research.

Along with this grant and recent award from MISMR, Dr. Ekstrom has had five proposals funded since 1985 totaling nearly $2 million. He attributes this success to:

• An administratively centralized program of animal care.
• AAALAC accreditation on a university-wide basis since 1977. According to Dr. Ekstrom, this is “the gold standard of animal care.”
• Strong support from Vice President for Research Office for laboratory animal care and use programs to ensure that compliance with Federal laws, regulations and policies is met or exceeded.
• An effective Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee IACUC which has broad representation and an excellent history of compliance and meeting requirements of University Assurance to NIH. Known as the Animal Investigation Committee at Wayne State.
• Critical data collection assistance by SPA to support needs and justify components of grant applications.
• Strong support of faculty and staff for a high quality laboratory animal care and use program.
• Provision of research support within a major Research Intensive university with one of the largest medical school’s in the United States
• Having a unique role in being a major urban university with a student population and faculty and staff that is diverse in nature and aligns with national goals.
• Joint accreditation of the laboratory animal care and use program with the John D. Dingell VAMC.
• The presence of staff in the DLAR who have served or are serving in important roles at the national, regional, state and local level, which has brought respect and recognition for the laboratory animal, care and use program at Wayne State University. Accreditation site visits every 3 years have brought to Wayne State visitors who are among the most highly respected in the country for a close up view of our facilities and programs.

Dr. Ekstrom received his M.S. in Veterinary Pathology from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. Paul) and his D.V.M. from Oklahoma State University (Stillwater). He did his veterinary pathology residency at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C. He joined Wayne State in 1975. In addition to being the director of DLAR, Dr. Ekstrom is a faculty member in the School of Medicine and Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.