Ethics Committee for Animal Care and Use
Chair: Dr Tashfeen Ahmad
Ethics Committee for Animal Care and Use is the institutional body to
guide and create awareness about the humane care and use of animals at
Aga Khan University, and to ensure that the use of animals, including
but not limited to research, education, diagnostics and therapeutics, is
justified from ethical and legal perspectives.
It is responsible for the following:
- University policy for the humane use and care of animals in research
- Animal use protocol review and approval
- Animal Facility oversight
- Compliance monitoring, evaluation, and oversight for the program
The Animal Facility provides services for the following:
- Laboratory animal care
- Veterinary care
- Personnel training
These units work in conjunction to educate,
train, and assist investigators and study teams to comply with the
university regulations.
As AKU researcher, you are responsible to:
- Follow the university policies and procedures that guide the humane care and use of animals in research
- Apply for approval through
ECACU Application Form
- Assure that students, staff, and faculty on the project are
qualified or will be trained to conduct the project in a humane and
scientific manner
- Maintain training records for protocol-specific procedures for all students, staff, and faculty on the project
- Report the progress of study by submitting ECACU Report Form
It is not permissible for AKU staff and
students to use animals for research, education or diagnostics without
prior approval from ECACU. Application review and response time is
generally around one month; applicants intending to perform studies
around the same time period as for regularly scheduled student modules
(e.g. research module), are advised to submit their applications at
least two months in advance.
COVID-19 and Animal Research
During the COVID-19 pandemic, to minimise the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2, only essential research on animals is being permitted after approval. The animal facility staff and animal users/ researchers are expected to comply with strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding personal protective equipment, social distancing, and employee health rules of the institution. Applicants intending to initiate or continue animal research need to fill the following application form with checklist indicating their agreement to SOPs, and submit to ecacu@aku.edu. They can start animal-related work once approval is granted.
Form to Initiate or Continue Animal Research During COVID-19
