MILWAUKEE, WI – A national research watchdog group is calling for an investigation of Marquette University by AAALAC (American Association for the Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care), alleging research malfeasance uncovered in a FOIA (Freedom Of Information Act) request.
According to reports on Marquette University letterhead, multiple projects were suspended and a researcher was tossed off of the Marquette IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) for multiple violations of federal law over a multi-year period.
The damning Marquette University (MU) documents were obtained via FOIA by SAEN, a non-profit Ohio-based non-governmental watchdog that monitors U.S. research facilities for illegal behavior and animal abuse.
One document is a “report regarding continuing noncompliance with PHS Policy and termination and suspension of IACUC approved protocols.”
The Marquette projects were suspended for performing unapproved procedures, multiple surgeries on one animal, and failing to adhere to the IACUC approved protocol by deviating from approved surgical procedures and failing to perform animal healthcare monitoring and reporting.
These actions all broke current federal law, charged SAEN, noting that otherwise they would not have been reported.
Following the termination of three protocols for this Principal Investigator (PI), Marquette research administration “Removed PI as a voting member of the IACUC.”
According to the report the most recent set of non-compliances follow two previous incidents in May of 2018 and April of 2019.
“The Marquette University research program is in shambles,” said SAEN co-founder Michael A. Budkie, A.H.T. “When someone who used to participate in research project approval admits violating federal regulations three times, and is thrown off of the animal care committee, then major problems exist.”
SAEN’s letter to AAALAC is available at: https://saenonline.org/news-
