Profiles in laboratory animal science: 11 paths to the top of the field

Abstract

So one morning, you woke up and decided you want to work in laboratory animal science. First you went to college. Then straight to veterinary school. Finally, after a bit of additional training and experience, you found yourself a good facility and settled down into a job, where you plan to spend the rest of your working days.

Or maybe not. Maybe after vet school you decided to participate in research projects in Africa and Papua New Guinea, and work at some of the world's largest zoos—experiences that led you to specialize in work with exotics. Or perhaps you got your start by changing and washing cages, until a bout with severe animal allergies led you in a new direction, coordinating training and education at your institution, and working with national organizations for the promotion of biomedical research. It could even be that your selection of eye-catching paper for your resume helped you get your foot in the door for a job at a major research university, after which your skills and ambition helped you rise to senior positions in IACUC management and public relations for your institution.

Teaching high school, fixing helicopters in the military, working on a ranch—these are among the careers initially pursued by some of the individuals who have contributed to this issue's 'Profiles' feature. We have brought together eleven individuals who have made a mark in laboratory animal science, and given them the chance to recount their stories. These stories reflect some of the unconventional and surprising ways in which some people made their way into the field of laboratory animal science, and show that career advancement often isn't simply a matter of steadily moving from Point A to Point B.

All of these men and women started in different places, with different goals—but what all eleven have in common is that their stories reflect the importance of learning from experience and listening to your instinct, and occasionally taking risks when the right opportunity presents itself. And all eleven demonstrate that there's always more to be learned and new possibilities to be explored, no matter how high you rise as a facility manager, technician, scientist, veterinarian, or teacher.