June 02 – 05 2025
Athens, Greece

Skillup Tech Sessions

Following up on the successes of the Technicians’ Day at the previous congresses in Prague 2019 and Marseille 2022, FELASA is again organising a track of sessions with particular focus on the role of the technical staff. These sessions are an ideal opportunity to bring together animal care staff, technicians and technologists to benefit from mutual experiences and discussions, to help this category of staff to to advance their knowledge, care and welfare of laboratory animals in their workplace.

These sessions will recognise the key roles and pressures that laboratory animal technicians work under and their essential contributions as members of the research team. This is the ultimate CPD event for animal caretakers, technicians and technologists during FELASA 2025.

The SkillUp Tech Sessions for FELASA 2025 are listed below. Please note that the sessions are spread out over several days.

Tuesday, June 3

Skalkotas

A Win-Win Situation for Research Quality and Work Satisfaction: More Involvement of Animal Care Staff

Animal research can provide insights into the complexities of biological systems and enable innovative solutions to societal health challenges that current alternatives cannot achieve. High-quality, translatable animal research relies on good animal welfare, experimental planning, design, and conduct. This applies from the birth of the experimental animals to the experiment itself, the analysis of the data, and the report of the results. Central to this endeavor is the adherence to optimal communication among the people involved, such as the engagement of different stakeholders and their input into the discussion with researchers about animal welfare and design, planning, and conduct of research. Greater involvement of animal care staff and lab technicians is a win-win situation for welfare and science. It might enhance the animal care staff’s commitment to their job, promoting animal welfare, preventing compassion fatigue, and contributing to the quality of research and scientific outputs.
This session discusses communication between researchers and animal care staff regarding animal welfare as well as experimental planning and conduct: 1) We will share the results from our COST Action IMPROVE* survey “Framing the Role of Animal Care Staff and Lab Technicians in Experimental Planning and Conduct of Animal Studies,” conducted on animal care staff, lab technicians, and researchers; 2) We will highlight the relevance of improving multidirectional communication for optimal animal research quality, and 3) We will emphasize the importance of animal care staff in qualitative assessment of animal welfare and its own experience.
*COST Action IMPROVE (“3Rs concepts to improve the quality of biomedical science”), CA21139, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).

Chairs: Fernando Gonzalez Uarquin, Paulin Jirkof

08:00-08:20 Involvement of Animal Caretakers and Technicians in the Planning and Conduction of Animal Experiments
Sophie Schober

08:20-08:40 The Quality of Animal Research Depends on All Active Players
Bettina Bert

08:40-09:00 The Role of Technicians in Qualitative Assessment of Animal Welfare and its Subjective Experience
Augusto Vitale

09:00-09:30 Discussion

Skalkotas

Competence Assessor Training to Ensure Competency Training and Assessment by Trained Supervisors and Evaluators

Animals used for scientific purposes must be treated humanely, which warrants responsible care and use by competent staff. Competence can be broadly defined as performing an activity at a high standard, by combining competency in performing the required tasks with desirable personal attributes. Competence is achieved through education, training, experience, and continuing professional development, and must be regularly assessed.
To ensure animals are used and cared for competently, principles and practices must be assessed reliably, objectively and transparently. However, establishing trust in competency to perform procedures autonomously is challenging, as it needs certifying that those being assessed not only hold the necessary knowledge and mastery of practical skills, but also that they manifest appropriate attitudes of empathy towards animals and act accordingly. The latter requires assessing both trainees and established professionals in their daily work. The European Commission’s Education and Training Framework establishes a five-step approach for assessing competency in a specific task, reducing the supervision required with each step, until one can be entrusted to fully work independently. Establishing trust is not an easy task, so the competence assessor must be trained to do this responsibly.
Supported by the European Commission, an international group of experts has defined harmonised learning outcomes for the training of competence assessors, based on which we have developed online training resources, as part of EU grant ENV/2021/OP/0011. These learning outcomes will be known as the new module EU-27 within the revised Education and Training Framework that supports Directive 2010/63/EU.
These learning outcomes can also aid the supervisor by transparently performing similar formative assessments during training. The concept of establishing entrustment as one attains competence is inspired by medical education, where ‘entrustable professional activities’ are becoming key components of establishing competency in patient care. These can now be applied to establish competency of staff that care and use animals for scientific purposes and education, by staff that is trained to supervise and assess professionally.

Chairs: Katrin Schutte, Nuno Henrique Franco

16:45-17:00 Why Learning Outcomes for Competence Assessors
Katrin Schutte

17:00-17:15 Education, Training, and Competence in Laboratory Animal Science
Rafael Frias

17:15-17:30 Learning Outcomes for a Competence Assessor
Ivo Tiebosch

17:30-17:45 Training Competence Assessors
Felicia van der Flier

17:45-18:00 Discussion

Wednesday, June 4

Skalkotas

HSBLAS Session: How to Train Your Mouse and Rat?

This session aims to provide researchers and laboratory animal care and use personnel with the knowledge and skills to train mice and rats for experimental protocols. Understanding animal behavior and learning and using appropriate training strategies is essential to be able to utilize training as a refinement tool and enhance the welfare of laboratory mice and rats.

Chairs Vasileios Ntafis, Argyro Zacharioudaki

08:00-08:20 Introduction: Training Rodents – Principles and Challenges
Dorte B. Sørensen

08:20-08:40 A Mouse Case: Micropipette-guided Drug Administration as Alternative to Oral Gavage
Paulin Jirkof

08:40-09:00 A Rat Case: Voluntary Cage Change
Nadine Baumgart

09:00-09:20 Discussion: Feasability and Limitations of Training Laboratory Mice and Rats

Skalkotas

An Introduction to Zebrafish Husbandry and Care

This session aims to provide animal technicians with some essential husbandry methods for Zebrafish, the second most popular animal model in the world. Talks will be designed to offer introductions, which can be utilized independently through hands-on experience. The audience will learn optional protocols to raise and keep healthy zebrafish colonies, including adequate feeding, water quality, fish density. Colony management is an important overarching concept that will also be addressed. The session will also provide facility managers with an overview of what will be required in terms of infrastructure to have a modern aquatic facility. At the end of the session there will be time for discussion about aquatic facilities and zebrafish care.

Chairs: Bobbi Baur, Joana Monteiro

10:15-10:20 Introduction
Bobbi Baur, Joana Monteiro

10:20-10:40 Effective Husbandry of Larval Zebrafish
Joana Monteiro

10:40-11:00 Overview of Zebrafish Facility Management: Essentials for Care and Compliance
Ana Borges

11:00-11:20 Basics of Aquatics Facility Design
Bobbi Baur

11:20-11:30 Discussion

Skalkotas

YOU Have the Power to Move Public Beliefs about Animal Research

The future of biomedical research will be shaped by how animal research is perceived by the public. There have been decades of near silence on the topic by the research community, allowing animal research opponents sway public opinion. This is leading to anti-animal research legislative and regulatory initiatives based on misinformation, disinformation and lies.

As a result, more than ever before, we are now called upon to come together to change public attitudes and understanding about research that required animals. This session is designed to help participants gain the skill to talk about their work with animals proudly and effectively. We will be focusing on one-on-one conversations not formal outreach presentations, although many of the same principles may be applied. The learning experience will offer a starting point for participants to have conversations about animal research. It is important remember that practice will lead to confidence and effectiveness. Current data on public opinion about research with animals, effective communication strategies based on experience and published articles and resources that support talking about animal studies will be incorporated into the session.

Proudly talk with friends, family and/or acquaintances about one’s role in animal research.
Gain skills needed for effective communication about animal research.
Confidently answer questions related to animal research or address challenges.
Be aware of public opinion about animal research and how it may guide conversations about animals in research.

Chairs: Paula Clifford, Wendy Jarrett

16:45-16:55 Introduction
Paula Clifford, Wendy Jarrett

16:55-17:10 How to Effectively Talk About Your Work With Animals in Research
Paula Clifford

17:10-17:25 Freedom to Speak: How Openness Contributes to a Culture of Care
John Meredith

17:25-17:40 Can We Talk? Communication between Animal Technicians and Researchers Is an Important 3R Facilitator
Aoife Milford

17:40-17:55 Towards a Transparency Agreement on Animal Research in Greece
Anastasios Xanthopoulos

The SkillUp Tech Sessions are specifically designed be of interest to animal caretakers, technicians and technologists, but anyone who is interested in laboratory animal science and welfare, whether from a clinical, preclinical, translational, welfare, academic, pharma or even regulatory, perspective, would find topics interesting and useful.

The topics discussed are also important for ‘Persons responsible for overseeing the welfare and care of animals’ (ICARE/NACWOs), Animal Welfare Body members, laboratory animal vets, journal editors, regulators and animal welfare groups (e.g., RSPCA, FRAME).

Join our exciting SkillUp Tech Sessions at FELASA for topical, practical and relevant information that offers something for everyone working in laboratory animal science and technology.

The SkillUp Tech Sessions will be recorded and made available afterwards upon request.