The director and deputy director of the Veterinary Area of Fundación Ciencia & Vida at Universidad San Sebastián presented at the 4th “Science and Crisis” Meeting, which brought together Latin American specialists in animal welfare and strategic planning for emergencies in research.
The director and the deputy director of the Veterinary Area of the Fundación Ciencia & Vida at the Universidad San Sebastián presented at the IV “Science and Crisis” Meeting, an event that brought together Latin American specialists in animal welfare and strategic planning for research emergencies.
The Universidad San Sebastián (USS), through the Veterinary Area of the Fundación Ciencia & Vida (FCV), participated in the IV Meeting “Science and Crisis: Strategic planning in emergencies for the welfare of research animals,” held at the Universidad de los Andes, in Bogotá, Colombia.
At the event, the director of the FCV-USS veterinary area and professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Sebastián Valenzuela, along with the deputy director of the area, MSc. Micaela Ricca, participated as guest speakers, contributing their experience in emergency management in animal facilities and animal welfare in scientific research contexts.
The meeting was organized by Animalcore–Uniandes, with the support of the Colombian Association for Laboratory Science and Welfare, bringing together professionals, technicians, and academics from different Latin American countries with the goal of strengthening institutional capacities for prevention, response, and recovery in the face of crises affecting research animals, considering ethical, legal, operational, and human-animal welfare dimensions.
The program addressed topics such as emergency planning and prevention, crisis management, post-crisis preparation and recovery, continuous staff training, and case study analysis, in addition to interdisciplinary discussion panels aimed at identifying challenges and opportunities in emergency management in animal science.
Academic contribution and international collaboration projection
Dr. Valenzuela led the module “Crisis Management: Rapid and Effective Response,” where he presented a strategic perspective based on international standards, addressing the coordination of multidisciplinary teams, the application of operational protocols, and decision-making in critical scenarios involving laboratory animals. He also participated in the meeting's roundtables, contributing to the collective analysis of regional experiences and best practices.
In addition to their participation as speakers, the USS representatives toured the facilities of the Universidad de los Andes and held a working meeting with Dr. Keydy Vásquez Romero, institutional veterinarian and MV coordinator of Animalcore at the Vice-Rectorate for Research and Creation of UniAndes.
The meeting addressed topics of common interest, such as faculty mobility, the strengthening of the existing agreement between both institutions, and potential collaboration in university teaching research.
The participation of the USS in this international meeting is part of its academic internationalization strategy, promoting the exchange of knowledge, regional cooperation, and the development of networks that contribute to strengthening training, research, and best practices in animal welfare and laboratory science, with a long-term projection for the USS academic community.
