Hackensack Meridian Health the Center for Discovery and Innovation Secure Research Accreditation
Published:
May 17, 2021
What you need to know
Hackensack Meridian Health and the Center for Discovery and Innovation have been accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC). The distinction shows responsible animal care and use for research.
AAALAC, the private, nonprofit organization promotes the humane treatment of animals in science. The accreditation program evaluates organizations that use animals in research, teaching or testing. Those that meet or exceed AAALAC standards are awarded accreditation.
The team responsible for the accreditation recently gathered to display the plaque they received from AAALAC.
Left to right: Avery Freed, CIP, director of the Human Research Protections Program; Cristina Jimenez-Ortigosa, Ph.D., manager, infectious disease lab at the CDI; Martin Gengenbacher, Ph.D., assistant member at the CDI; Steven Park, B.S., director of lab support operations at the CDI; Todd Keiser, director of the medical school facilities; Ihor Sawczuk, M.D., FACS, chief research officer and president of the Northern Region for HMH; Sean Fitzgerald, MPH, RBP, manager of biological safety and risk management; David Perlin, Ph.D., chief scientific officer and senior vice president of the CDI; Bruce Scharf, DVM, director of animal resources and attending veterinarian for the CDI; Michael Poulos, Ph.D., assistant member at the CDI; Juanita Vakerich, manager of the animal facility at the CDI; Chriselle Rivas, supervisor of the animal facility at the CDI; Cheryl Fittizzi, R.N., M.B.A., C.I.P., vice president of research and regulatory affairs; and Leigh Ann Tulleson, animal care use compliance specialist.
