He leads a team of about 130 staff, including seven full-time veterinarians, who make daily health checks on all the animals, mostly small rodents and fish that are bred at the centre. Mice are kept in separate, well-ventilated cages to prevent crosscontamination, while the fish are in separate tanks. Feeding of fish is automated using robot technology, as is cage cleaning, to protect the health of workers. ‘We are promoting a culture of care for both animals and staff,’ he said. The CCMR also provides monthly training sessions for staff and students on careful handling and procedures―an important pre-emptive step given one survey found more than 40 per cent of HKUMed publications in high-impact journals utilised animal research. Many of those journals require the kinds of insights and evidence only animal research can provide. The team are also preparing for a new animal facility for cancer and microbiome research at Grantham Hospital, to open in 12-18 months. Dr Rowlands said they are always committed to being open about their work. The ethics committee policies are made public, and there is a website with a virtual tour of facilities, and visitors are regularly hosted. ‘There is a certain mystique about what we do. It is important for us to be open and transparent so that people can understand that we care for the wellbeing of our animals. Yes, they are needed for medical research and bred for this purpose, but what matters most is that they receive the highest quality care and living conditions that meet the best international benchmarks.’ The Story Behind the Centre for Comparative Medicine Research The ultimate test of medical science is whether a drug or treatment works in humans. Getting to that stage requires, first, strong bench-side testing and facilities, and second, animal research for safety and efficacy, as Dr Dewi Rowlands, Director of the Centre for Comparative Medicine Research (CCMR), is well aware. Currently, the CCMR serves researchers not only in medicine but also in dentistry, engineering, science and social sciences. Its work advances studies across numerous disciplines, such as cancer, infectious diseases, cardiology, diabetes, immunology, neurobiology, and biomedical engineering. Dr Dewi Rowlands ‘ ’ 23 HKUMed News Winter 2025
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