Animal Physiology Core

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The Animal Physiology Core (APC) brings together four experts in the areas of integrative physiology, cardiovascular physiology, imaging, and animal models who serve as a core resource for the study of diabetes using rodent models. The methods and services reflect the DRC theme that diabetes is both a metabolic and vascular disease. The overall goal of the APC is to provide easy access to highly-specialized equipment and expertise to augment diabetes and cardiometabolic research quality and cost effectiveness. The APC incorporates expertise and current technology for both metabolism and vascular assessment, brought together in one core for combined applications by the user base. The Specific Aims of the APC are to: 1. Provide expertise in the use of animal models for diabetes and cardiometabolic disease research; 2. To provide state-of-the-art instrumentation and methodology for the determination of body composition, energy balance, glucose homeostasis, cardiovascular assessment, molecular imaging, and genetically modified animal models; 3. To provide cost-efficient services to Core users; and 4. To promote interactions among investigators and to provide training in animal models and phenotyping methods. Since the DRC APC was founded in 2008, the track record of utilization and productivity has been outstanding and is growing. The high quality, breadth, and cutting-edge nature of the Core’s technologies, and responsiveness to the evolving needs of our investigators, have resulted in high rates of utilization by the DRC research base. By promulgating high-quality services in small animal phenotyping, the Core is an important strength for assuring that research is promoted across the full spectrum of translational research. The productivity numbers and data in the core utilization table speak for themselves. During the last grant cycle, the APC has been extremely active in supporting diabetes and cardiovascular research. The APC has supported 145 funded projects from 77 UAB investigators. The data provided by the core became the basis of numerous federal grants and led to many high-quality publications.