Not many people have known from childhood what they wanted to do. However, Jeanne Herring, V.M.D., head of the Laboratory Animal Medicine (LAM) program at NCI-Frederick, is one such person.
From her childhood experiences helping her veterinarian father in his practice, to high school pre-veterinary courses and volunteering with other veterinary practices, she has spent literally a lifetime involved in the veterinary profession. Originally, she planned to become a small-animal veterinarian, like her father, but a high school certification course in laboratory animal technology sparked her interest in
LAM. She went on to earn a B.A. in biology from Temple University.
At the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Herring took an elective in
LAM and did externships at Merck Pharmaceutical and Johns Hopkins University.
After working briefly in a small-animal practice, she entered an NIH-funded
post-doctoral fellowship program in LAM at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Upon completion of the 3½ year residency in
LAM, Dr. Herring sat for her boards and earned her Diplomate status in the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and became a board-certified specialist in Laboratory Animal Medicine.
During the course of her career, Dr. Herring has seen changes in veterinary medicine: on one hand, more women are becoming veterinarians; but on the other hand, there's a shortage in laboratory animal medicine veterinarians, male or female.
Dedicated: Laboratory Animal Medicine
A long-standing interest in cancer research led Dr. Herring to accept the position as head of Laboratory Animal Medicine at NCI-Frederick in 1991. Her mission since then has been to assure humane care and use of laboratory animals.
By federal mandate as attending veterinarian, Dr. Herring reviews all of the NCI-Frederick animal study proposals at the time of submission to ensure that correct biomethodology, analgesia, anesthesia, and humane endpoints are defined and that the animals experience minimal pain and distress. She recommends study refinements and suggests animal-related technical procedures and endpoints.
She assesses each animal study proposal for adherence to the "Three R's" (Reduction, Refinement, Replacement), the basic principles for the use of animals in biomedical research. Reduction refers to decreasing the number of animals needed to produce scientifically sound research results. Refinement refers to modifying experimental techniques that minimize animal pain and distress. Replacement refers to replacing laboratory animals with tissue culture or mathematical models. Dr. Herring's review of every animal study proposal is essential
—and required—prior to presentation to the Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC) for a final vote.
A member of ACUC since 1991, Dr. Herring also served 11 years on the U.S. Army Environmental Health Research Detachment ACUC, and has been a member of the NCI-Frederick Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) for the past 11 years.
In addition, she has done several studies, such as one on neonatal euthanasia, that have resulted in the current ACUC euthanasia guidelines. She would like to expand a study done on analgesia; "It had interesting results," she said.
"Animal welfare studies help everyone involved in biomedical research: the investigators because they have a better animal model; and the animals, because they have a better quality of life. And, of course, we all derive health benefits from biomedical research," Dr. Herring said.
Because Dr. Herring is the attending veterinarian at NCI-Frederick, she is responsible for the care and use of the animals; these days, that's mainly mice, rats, and frogs. She and veterinary associate Julie Bullock regularly visit the 14 animal science buildings to evaluate the animals' health and their environs.
As well as reviewing submitted animal study proposals, Dr. Herring conducts post-approval monitoring of animal-related procedures in research protocols. These consultations include observation of new surgical techniques or procedures and evaluations for adverse effects when new agents are introduced into animals. Dr. Herring makes recommendations for the refinement of procedures, if needed, and presents her observations to the ACUC.
Dr. Herring provides veterinary surgical and pharmacological expertise and medical assessments for all animal-related research at NCI-Frederick; and evaluates sick animals, whether naturally occurring or study-related. For example, Dr. Herring may suggest refinements when assessing animals' overall health and the effects of the study. "Both scientific goals and animal welfare goals must work together. It's a group effort, from technician to principal investigator to LAM, ensuring that the investigator's needs are met and animal welfare issues are addressed."
While assistant Julie Bullock provides various training in laboratory animal science, including AALAS certification, Dr. Herring oversees the coursework, coordinates programs, and teaches some modules. The technicians are encouraged to become AALAS-certified, "which is good for their professional knowledge and advancement," Dr. Herring commented.
Dr. Herring leads the staff of Receiving and Quarantine (R&Q) as manager of the Rodent Quarantine Facility. She evaluates the health profiles for the receipt and release of quarantined animals. When quarantine facility renovations are complete this fall, Dr. Herring and her staff will have more room to house new shipments of animals.
Dedicated: Developing New Programs
In 2005, Dr. Herring helped set up the former In Vivo Fluorescent Imaging Program (now the Small Animal Imaging Program, headed by Dr. Josephe Kalen), which used the Maestro In-Vivo Imaging System in various tumor model studies. Dr. Herring's expertise in project management and knowledge of rodent biomethodology were an invaluable asset to the program's infancy.
Dr. Herring also instituted a mouse re-derivation program, using embryo transfers or cesarean sections to obtain "Specific Pathogen-Free" (SPF) breeding stock from animals known to harbor rodent pathogens. This practice provides investigators with access to virtually any strain of SPF mice.
Dedicated to Animals, Even at Home
Dr. Herring has a busy life with her husband (a supervisory veterinary medical officer for FDA), their 12-year-old daughter, and their six-year-old son—and the family animals: her horse (she shares training and riding with her daughter), two miniature horses, six sheep, two pygmy goats, chickens, four dogs, two cats, a Green Cheek Conure (a breed of parrot), and three corn snakes.
While most of her day, evenings, and weekends are taken up with animals on the job, animals at home, and family, when she needs to get away for a bit of solitude, she reads, does yoga or works out at the gym, power-walks, or tends her many orchids (nearly 60, from Lady Slippers to Phalaenopsis and Cattelyas).
Dedicated to Research Here: "We couldn't do it without the animals."
"Humane issue considerations are one way I can contribute to collaborations,"
Dr. Herring commented. Often, she does this by helping a researcher refine a
protocol and improve study results. For example, not long ago, using her
knowledge of small-animal practice surgical procedures, she suggested to a
researcher that as part of improved surgical procedures, he try putting the
rodents on heating pads and providing subcutaneous fluids. "Everything you're
doing 'perioperatively'—that includes before, during, and after a surgical procedure—helps. You have to consider such things as body temperature, analgesia during recovery, and wet feed, if needed," she said.
In another case, she helped a researcher refine a technical procedure in a model for breast cancer metastasizing to the brain. Their collaboration continues today.
Dr. Herring enjoys the collaborations, her ACUC and IBC service, interactions with LASP staffs, and helping investigators. She takes her job seriously
- overseeing the health and welfare of animals used in biomedical research. She noted, "My mission is to keep the animals as healthy as possible, to assure that they receive adequate care and that they are used appropriately and humanely. Even though they are mice, they are irreplaceable components of the research effort and deserve the highest quality, compassionate veterinary care. I think the research here is worthwhile, and we couldn't do it without the animals."
Maritta Perry Grau, Editor
Scientific Publications, Graphics & Media
SAIC-Frederick, Inc.
National Cancer Institute at Frederick
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Scientific Publications, Graphics & Media
SAIC-Frederick, Inc.
National Cancer Institute at Frederick
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Web Graphics and Development
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National Cancer Institute at Frederick
Not many people have known from childhood what they wanted to do. However, Jeanne Herring, V.M.D., head of the Laboratory Animal Medicine (LAM) program at NCI-Frederick, is one such person.
Because Dr. Herring is the attending veterinarian at NCI-Frederick, she is responsible for the care and use of the animals; these days, that's mainly mice, rats, and frogs. She and veterinary associate Julie Bullock regularly visit the 14 animal science buildings to evaluate the animals' health and their environs.