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Response to Protocol Review Scenario: Loose lips can sink ships—and potentially careers and institutions

Lab Animal volume 45, pages 328–329 (2016)Cite this article

First and foremost, the IACUC Chair should recognize the delicacy of this situation and be prepared to take any warranted actions. The available information in this case is limited—exactly what the IACUC member revealed to his colleague is unknown. The IACUC member may have simply mentioned Seligman's broad research interests, or pointed his colleague to Seligman's NIH grant abstract, for example, which is easily accessible to the public. If this were the case, it would not represent a violation of confidentiality and Seligman's initial response would have been an overreaction.

Based upon a review of the IACUC member's actions and details of the disclosures, if a clear breach of peer-review confidentiality has occurred, the institution should take this situation very seriously. Such a violation of federal regulations may cause the institution to be vulnerable to potential legal action.

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References

  1. Animal Welfare Act regulations. 9 CFR. Chapter I, Subchapter A, Part 2, Subpart C.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kessler is Director of Regulatory Affairs, IACUC, Jackson is Senior Clinical Veterinarian, DLAR, and Newsome is Clinical Director, DLAR and Associate Professor, Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.,

    Michael C. Kessler,  Erin Jackson &  Joseph T. Newsome

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  1. Michael C. Kessler
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  2. Erin Jackson
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  3. Joseph T. Newsome
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Kessler, M., Jackson, E. & Newsome, J. Response to Protocol Review Scenario: Loose lips can sink ships—and potentially careers and institutions. Lab Anim 45, 328–329 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban.1089

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