Animal Health and Welfare

Dr. McLellan’s lab is focused on solving ocular problems that affect both animals and humans, with a particular emphasis on glaucoma. The laboratory is uniquely positioned to apply the principles of “One Health” to vision research through strong collaborative relationships with members of the vision research community as well as veterinary and physician colleagues at UW-Madison and beyond. While a major focus of the lab’s work is understanding how genetic mutations affect eye development early in life, with the goal of improving outcomes for children and animals with congenital glaucoma, the McLellan Lab also conducts studies across a broad range of topics related to eye and brain health. Through our efforts, we are proud to have made major clinical and scientific contributions that advance animal and human health and well-being.

Animal welfare is a central focus of the McLellan Lab. We are strongly committed to conducting humane, ethical research and oppose scientific procedures that cause unnecessary pain, suffering, distress, or lasting harm. Our research protocols are designed around procedures that do not cause pain or suffering to the animals in our care while still allowing us to advance knowledge that benefits both animal and human health. When animals are essential to our research, we work hard to develop and apply non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures for animals in our care and for veterinary patients.

The laboratory is deeply committed to the principles of the 3Rs, which are recognized worldwide as the foundation of humane animal research:

• Replacement: Adopting methods that avoid or replace the use of animals whenever possible.
• Reduction: Using the absolute minimum number of animals necessary to answer important scientific questions.
• Refinement: Continually improving procedures and animal care practices to reduce any potential discomfort and enhance animal well-being.

Ultimately, the long-term goal of the scientific community, including our laboratory, is to develop and implement humane alternatives that can replace the use of animals in research and testing. Our lab, like many others, has developed a number of in vitro systems, ex vivo approaches, and computer models that can play important roles in glaucoma research. Although we increasingly rely on these non-animal models, they cannot yet fully replicate the complexity of living systems needed to translate important scientific discoveries from the laboratory into safe and effective treatments for veterinary and human patients.

Animal research continues to be important for:

• Understanding how animal and human bodies function.
• Studying important life-limiting diseases and medical conditions that affect both animals and people, including glaucoma and dementia that we study in our lab.
• Developing and evaluating new medicines, therapies, and medical interventions for humans and animals. We are leaders in developing new diagnostic tests and treatments for veterinary and human diseases.

The McLellan Lab is committed to ensuring an excellent quality of life for the animals in our care as well as advancing science. Animals receive regular enrichment designed to support their physical, behavioral, and emotional well-being, including treats, toys, environmental enrichment, and positive interactions with laboratory staff, applying “fear-free” principles. These activities help provide a stimulating and supportive environment and reflect the lab’s dedication to compassionate and responsible animal stewardship.

Whenever possible, animals that have completed their participation in our research studies are adopted into permanent, loving homes. Our staff play an important role in finding these homes, extending our commitment to their welfare beyond the research setting.

In support of both scientific excellence and animal welfare, the McLellan Lab continually works to:

• Improve the welfare of laboratory animals.
• Minimize discomfort and reduce suffering for all animals.
• Keep the number of animals used to the minimum necessary.
• Encourage the development, validation, and adoption of non-animal alternatives in our own research and in the broader research community.
• Provide compassionate care and enrichment throughout an animal’s lifetime in the research program and find permanent, loving homes for all adoptable animals at the conclusion of studies.

By combining innovative vision research with exceptional standards of animal care, as well as local, national, and international advocacy and engagement, the McLellan Lab seeks to improve the lives of both animals and people while maintaining the highest ethical standards in research.