Leadership and Expertise
Our Primate Services program is under the leadership of Gregory Timmel, D.V.M., MS, DACLAM who serves as the Associate Director of Primate Services. Dr. Gregory Timmel joined the CNPRC in 20XX from the Oregon National Primate Research Center and is a Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Medicine and Epidemiology Department at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and Associate Director for Primate Services at the CNPRC. He received his undergraduate and Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine education at Colorado State University and his Master’s degree in physiology and behavioral biology from San Francisco State University. Dr Timmel, is board-certified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.
Laboratory animal medicine (LAM) deals with the clinical care of animals used in teaching and research, including nonhuman primates, for the improvement and advancement of medicine and science for both humans and animals alike. LAM veterinarians work at the interface between clinical care and research support, and act as advocates for all research animals. The American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) sets standards in the field for the certification of veterinary specialists through professional development, education, and research. The majority of the CNPRC veterinarians have been trained in an ACLAM-accredited LAM residency program.
The goal of the ACLAM training program is to maintain the highest quality and consistency of LAM training in the field of veterinary medicine. Participation also strengthens an institution’s ability to prepare trainees for the ACLAM examination and, subsequently, for careers as board-certified LAM veterinarians. Preparation for the LAM specialty board examination takes a tremendous investment in time, dedication, and effort, and requires personal and professional sacrifice, determination, meticulous preparation, and perseverance.
The CNPRC has six staff senior veterinarians who are ACLAM board-certified. Moreover, all our veterinarians have each acquired a vast amount of nonhuman primate experience, totaling more than 70 years of combined experience and knowledge in nonhuman primate medicine and research support.
The CNPRC veterinarians are supported by a staff of highly trained Animal Health Technicians (AHT) with approximately 140 years cumulative of experience and six veterinary students. The AHTs are critical to the function of our unit and essential for the provision of medical care to animals in need. They have expertise in animal assessment and triage, wound management, fluid therapy, radiology, anesthesia, surgical support, and dentistry. They are also responsible for communication with investigators, collection of samples for research support, coordination of animal relocations with behavioral management, upkeep of treatment areas throughout the facility, and coordination of routine maintenance of medical equipment. The AHT staff is onsite 10-12 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. As a team, they work to ensure timely and thorough medical care to every animal in the colony and project support, as needed. The team manages a caseload of up to 300 animals per day.