by Kimberly Hensle Lowrance

Our 2010 IACUC Conference got underway on Saturday in Baltimore, Maryland. We’re thrilled to be in the land of crab cakes and to be so near to our nation’s capital. Nearly 620 attendees from eight countries and 42 states joined together and celebrated 25 years of the guiding principles for animal research, which also was our conference theme.

The gathering kicked off with two intensive pre-conference courses, IACUC 101 and Essentials for IACUC Administration. These sessions were terrific resources for those seeking the indispensable “must-know” information about animal care and use committees and also offered excellent networking opportunities. We saw attendees sharing what they’ve learned with one another, picking the brains of our expert pre-conference program faculty, and making arrangements to go out to dinner with new friends.

Speaking of expert faculty, the IACUC 101 team also did double-duty, welcoming attendees, and as seen in the picture below, distributing certificates of attendance to the participants.

Look for more posts, including a profile of the main conference’s first day, and the keynote address!