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Improving Health for a Better Future


Practically every drug, treatment, medical device, diagnostic tool, and cure we know of has been developed with the help of laboratory animals. Still, there is so much more that needs to be done to improve existing treatments and to discover new ones.

As a major research institution, the University of Utah is dedicated to advancing science and medicine to improve the health of people, pets, and livestock. Some of the most important laboratory work on campus involves research with animals. In addition to conducting medical and discovery science, federal guidelines require assessing most new drugs and many new medical devices with animals before they can be offered to patients in clinical trials.

The University of Utah is devoted to high quality science and recognizes that it is inseparable from humane animal care. We are committed to responsible and ethical research and follow rigorous guidelines to meet the highest standards of animal welfare. Within this website, learn more about our procedures — from initial review of proposed research to partnerships with regulatory agencies — and the cures, treatments, and knowledge made possible by animal research.

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Animal Research Matters


Learn how the lives of people and our pets are saved with animal research.

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Frequently Asked
Questions


Answers to common questions about animal research.

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Stories of
Discovery


Read our stories of discovery and hope.

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Stories of Discovery


Animal Research Matters

There are misconceptions about why this work is important, how it’s done, and the care...

Study in mice links social behavior to the gut microbiome

Many autistic people experience gastrointestinal (GI) issues, such as constipation and abdominal pain. Still unknown,...

The two tiny fish unlocking the secrets of heart regeneration

A heart attack will leave a permanent scar. But some animals—including some fish, amphibians, and...

Differences in a blood-clotting gene may contribute to racial disparities in stroke outcomes

Black American populations have a higher risk of stroke and tend to experience more severe...

Study pinpoints brain cell populations linked to anxiety-like behaviors

Anxiety disorders, including obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder (OCSD), affect nearly a fifth of Americans, but...

Gene Therapy Experiments in Mice Suggests Ways to Treat Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Athletes

University of Utah Health scientists have corrected abnormal heart rhythms in mice by restoring healthy...

Scientists detect how gene guides earliest social behaviors

Little is known about how social behavior develops in the earliest stages of life. But...

Transplanted immune Cells Speed Recovery of Muscle Strength in Older Mice

Many people don’t realize it, but our immune system has a vital role in healing...

This Fungus Shrinks to Infect the Brain

It doesn’t quite have the same abilities as Transformers (the popular sci-fi superheroes) to morph...

New Treatment Approach for Multiple Sclerosis

Millions of people worldwide live with multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease in which the immune...