Plans for the Neuroscience Engineering Collaboration (NEC) building currently being constructed on campus include a variety of new animal research facilities, including a “secure nonpublic tunnel” that will bring animals into the building for testing.
The exact nature of this research remains unclear, as the department responsible for oversight of animal research at WSU, Laboratory Animal Resources (LAR), was unavailable for comment.
Office of Construction and Engineering Director Dan Papay explained how animal research will be handled in the NEC building.
"The basement of the NEC Building will have a secure, nonpublic tunnel connection to the basement of the Health Sciences building, which is where the nonpublic Laboratory Animal Resources area is," Papay said. "It is my understanding, from the things that were talked about in the design of the building, that no animals will be housed in the NEC building. Instead, they will be brought over for use in research on a day-to-day basis, and then returned to the LAR area where they are currently housed."
Alka Chandna, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Laboratory Investigations Department specialist, said she was concerned about the expansion of animal research at WSU.
"Fundamentally, it is concerning that at a time when there is mounting opposition to the use of animals in experiments, increased concern regarding the scientific validity of experiments on animals and ever more modern, non-animal methods of research that Wright State University would be investing in archaic and unreliable animal experiments," Chandna said.
Intending WSU student Brook Ilges took a more balanced stance on the issue.
"I don't believe animals should be subjected to pain or mutilation for research purposes," Ilges said. "However, it is hard to discount the advances made in medicine through research involving animals."
