Leaders in laboratory animal science: in their own words

There are a number of challenges facing young people planning their future with little but a love of animals to guide them. Pursuing a successful career in veterinary medicine can be a trying experience; there are a limited number of highly competitive academic programs, and even if one manages to enroll in such a program and complete the degree, there remains the daunting dilemma of whether to proceed directly to private practice, or whether instead to strike out on a new path and explore an alternative career in animal medicine. The eleven men and women profiled here are all respected figures from the laboratory animal science community, representing a broad cross-section of backgrounds and interests: genetics researchers, exotic species specialists, animal welfare advocates, nutritionists, facility managers, and so forth. Some worked their way through veterinary school and private practice before deciding on a radical career shift that brought them to where they are now, others started their careers in a laboratory, while others still followed a more indirect path, guided only by chance, curiosity, and a love of animals.All eleven, however, have each made their own unique contribution to the field, and Lab Animal has invited them to tell their own stories, in their own words, to illustrate some of the interesting, entertaining, and surprising turns a career in laboratory animal science can take.