Animal Resources Division (ARD)

The Animal Resources Division (ARD) at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) assists our research community in furthering our fundamental understanding of human biology and disease with the goal of developing new cancer therapies, improving recovery from heart disease, understanding neurological disorders and finding new treatments for infectious and other diseases.

Our staff are skilled, compassionate experts in laboratory animal health. We provide essential animal care and offer project-specific technical services and training for pre-clinical research at the RI-MUHC.

• Position Statement on the use of Animals in Biomedical Research
• How we work
• Resources for research
• News
• Contact us
• Further reading

Position Statement on the use of Animals in Biomedical Research, The Institute

The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute) recognizes animal research remains essential to advancing medical knowledge and improving human health. Research involving animals contributes to the understanding of complex diseases and the development of new treatments.

Animal research at The Institute is conducted only when no suitable alternative exists. We are firmly committed to the ethical and responsible use of animals in research, upholding the highest standards of care and welfare. All animal-based research is reviewed and approved through rigorous institutional oversight and complies fully with the guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC), which provides national oversight of animal-based scientific activities in Canada.

Animal research at The Institute is conducted in specialized facilities by trained personnel, under the supervision of qualified veterinarians. Guided by the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the Three Rs), we work continuously to minimize animal use and improve animal wellbeing.

Guided by transparency, accountability, and compassion, the Institute ensures that animal research is conducted with rigor, integrity, and respect.

How we work

We work with pediatric and adult research programs, to accelerate the translation of biomedical research discoveries to the improved understanding of human health and the treatment of disorders and diseases.

We have a comprehensive team of clinical veterinarians, animal health technicians, and animal care workers with the highest integrity and respect for the wellbeing of the animals involved in research and education.

Our program is certified by the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC). Our veterinarians are all members of l’Ordre des Médecins Vétérinaires du Québec (OMVQ), and hold post-graduate certification in laboratory animal medicine and research.

Animal research oversight is provided by two Facility Animal Care Committees (FACCs), operating under the Institutional Animal Care Committee (IACC), and includes veterinarians, animal health technicians, researchers, students and community representatives.

We proactively follow the 3Rs tenet of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement in animal care; always seeking new ways to reduce the number of animals required for human health research, refining scientific methods to improve animal wellbeing and replacing animal tests with alternatives whenever possible.

Resources for research

ARD supports research at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, as well as at McGill University and other affiliated institutions.

To review the ARD resources below, access to the RI-MUHC Portal (intranet) is required. (To request Portal access, RI-MUHC researchers, trainees and staff may complete the online Portal Access request form.)

Contact Us

Further Reading

Here are just a few examples of how biomedical research and ARD can improve human health.

Viagra could help babies deprived of oxygen during childbirth

Educating the immune system to prevent allergies

Re-programming innate immune cells to fight tuberculosis

Canadian researchers develop a novel enzyme technology to fight biofilms