2009 Cage Washer for Queen's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council-funded Research in Psychology

皇后大学心理学系的六名研究人员依靠一个运作良好的动物护理设施来开展他们的NSERC资助的研究。目前的设施包括一个40岁的笼式洗衣机，需要更换。我们正在申请一笔赠款，以帮助支付购买一个新的笼式洗衣机的费用。NSERC资助的教授的研究项目包括：RJ Beninger，研究大脑神经递质在大鼠行为控制中的作用; H Dringenberg，研究大鼠大脑记录研究中的神经元可塑性; B Frost，使用鸽子单细胞记录技术研究视觉系统; J梅纳尔，评估大鼠恐惧的神经回路; MC Olmstead，他研究认知和动机过程如何相互作用以影响大鼠的行为; N Troje，NSERC Steacie研究员，他的研究重点是使用鸽子进行生物运动。这些研究计划主要依赖于一个功能齐全的笼清洗机的可用性，为动物提供一个卫生的居住环境。皇后学院的另外两个设施也有类似的设备，但不鼓励设施之间的移动，以防止病原体的传播。由于空间限制，将六名研究人员和他们的实验室搬到另一座建筑物中，在那里他们可以直接使用笼式洗衣机，这是不可行的，这样的举动会破坏部门。心理学六名NSERC资助的研究人员目前监督18名本科生和21名研究生以及一名博士后。心理学的其他本科生参加使用实验室动物的课程。所有这些高素质的人员都依赖于一个功能强大的笼式清洗机来完成他们的学习。依靠笼式洗衣机的研究人员进行的研究结果对日常生活的许多方面产生了广泛的影响，包括理解和治疗药物成瘾等大脑疾病，以及开发技术，如更有效的尾灯显示器车辆，以防止碰撞，并理解为什么电话会议系统没有得到更广泛的使用。因此，我们复杂社会的许多方面都依赖于我们基础研究设施的完整性。

Six researchers in the Dept, Psychology at Queen's Univ. depend on a functioning animal care facility to carry out their NSERC-funded research. The current facility includes a cage washer that is 40 yr old and needs to be replaced. We are requesting a grant to assist in covering the cost of purchasing a new cage washer. The research programs of the NSERC-funded professors include: RJ Beninger who studies the role of brain neurotransmitters in the control of behavior in rats; H Dringenberg who studies neuronal plasticity in brain recording studies in rats; B Frost who uses single cell recording techniques in pigeons to study the visual system; J Menard who evaluates the neural circuitry of fear in rats; MC Olmstead who investigates how cognitive and motivational processes interact to influence behavior in rats; and N Troje, a NSERC Steacie Fellow whose research focuses on biological motion using pigeons. These research programs depend critically on the availability of a functioning cage washer to provide a hygienic housing environment for the animals. Similar equipment is available in two other facilities at Queen's but movement between facilities is discouraged to prevent the spread of pathogens. Moving the six researchers and their labs to another building where they would have direct access to a cage washer is not feasible because of space limitations and such a move would fracture the Dept. Psychology. The six NSERC-funded researchers currently supervise 18 undergraduate and 21 graduate students and one postdoc. Additional undergraduate students in Psychology take courses that use lab animals. All of these highly qualified personnel rely on a functioning cage washer to be able to complete their studies. The findings from the research carried out by the investigators who rely on the cage washer have wide ranging influence on many aspects of day-to-day life including understanding and treating brain disorders such as drug addiction and developing technologies such as more effective tail-light displays in vehicles to prevent collisions and understanding why teleconferencing systems are not more widely used. Thus, many aspects of our complex society depend on the integrity of our basic research facilities.