MSU names interim director for Laboratory Animal Resources
Contact: James Carskadon
A longtime Mississippi State clinical veterinarian will lead the university’s Office of Laboratory Animal Resources on an interim basis.
Dr. Bridget Willeford will begin serving as interim director for Laboratory Animal Resources and University Veterinarian on Dec. 16. She succeeds Dr. Lucy H. Senter, who is retiring after serving as director of the office for 15 years.
The Office of Laboratory Animal Resources provides veterinary care and animal husbandry resources for all animals required in biomedical research, teaching and testing programs at MSU. The office is under the guidance of the university’s vice president for research and economic development. During her time at MSU, Senter has worked to ensure the university’s research animals receive the best possible care and that all work with animals meets federal guidelines and regulations.
“This office plays an important role because animals in research settings need an advocate and a veterinarian that can speak for them,” Senter said. “The lab animal veterinarian plays that role for the animals. I will miss many aspects of this job, but, most of all, the people.”
Willeford has served as a clinical veterinarian in the Office of Laboratory Animal Resources since 2004. She is board certified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. At MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, she has taught classes in lab animal health management and lab animal technical skills, in addition to teaching a small animal clinical experience class. A 2001 graduate of MSU’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, Willeford also earned a bachelor’s degree from MSU in biochemistry and molecular biology.
“My top priority is to make sure the animals are well cared for,” Willeford said. “I want to make sure they’re provided with the daily healthcare they need and that the research is conducted appropriately. I look forward to working with our wonderful staff to continue this important work.”
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.