成人X站

In response to a state probe into the University of Washington’s (UW) , the university is making a leadership change within the center.

The university has removed Director Michelle Basso from the center after the opened an investigation into UW following the death of a primate under the school鈥檚 听(奥补狈笔搁颁).

“(Basso’s) scientific leadership and contributions to neuroscience are appreciated, and she will continue her work as a core scientist in the center,” UW wrote in an confirming Basso’s departure from the role as director at the center. “This change in leadership was made in the best interests of the Center and in support of its long-term success.”

(PETA) initiated the investigation after submitting a claim that a monkey — an eight-year-old male rhesus macaque — died due to a “botched procedure” while at the school’s primate center. In captivity, rhesus macaques live approximately 25 years, according to the , with a maximum recorded lifespan of 40 years.

Previous reporting on USDA probe in UW primate center: Primate for UW studies dies in program鈥檚 care, inspection found

“PETA is celebrating! We learned today that the director of the Washington National Primate Research Center, Michele Basso, has been ousted from her position at the helm of the University of Washington鈥檚 dreadful monkey prison,” PETA wrote in response to UW’s decision. “This follows our hand-delivered聽 in March, urging it to remove Basso for many actionable reasons, some of which are detailed below.”

USDA’s investigation into UW’s primate center

According to PETA鈥檚 report and the聽, a UW staffer retrieved a donated portable anesthesia machine, but the machine was faulty and caused a traumatic pressure injury to the monkey鈥檚 lungs, “essentially blowing them up like balloons.” The monkey went into cardiac arrest and died, the report read.

PETA claimed the university downplayed both the severity of the incident and the latest raft of USDA citations in its , a sentiment UW lambasted.

“Contrary to PETA鈥檚 claim, UW does not minimize or downplay an incident such as this,” UW spokesperson Victor Balta told MyNorthwest in October 2023.”Veterinary staff were performing the procedure and the machine malfunctioned despite following all procedures. UW veterinarians and staff responded immediately by doing a thorough investigation and establishing an action plan to prevent further occurrences. This action plan has already been validated and confirmed via follow-up communications with OLAW, AAALAC and during our recent USDA visit.”

USDA鈥檚 investigation revealed further transgressions within WaNPRC, including the discovery that another monkey that underwent skull surgery also sustained brain damage when a UW staffer left the room to take a phone call. An unskilled trainee was left alone in the room and botched the procedure, piercing the monkey鈥檚 brain and causing noticeable neurological damage.

More on UW’s primate center: PETA storms UW over treatment of medical research monkeys on first day of classes

Other citations included subjecting a monkey to two surgeries when only one was approved, subjecting 16 rabbits to a combination of unapproved procedures and 18 squirrels to unapproved surgeries, leading to complications for six of them. USDA鈥檚 report also found staffers failed to give the program鈥檚 monkeys a daily water ration.

USDA 聽that among UW鈥檚 Washington National Primate Research Center鈥檚 667 primates used in research, nearly 300 of them were subjected to pain or distress, including the use of anesthetics and other drugs.

“UW takes the welfare of the animals in our care very seriously and is transparent in reporting any adverse events that may occur,” the university stated in response to PETA’s claim late last year.

Deborah Fuller will serve as interim director. She previously was the Associate Director of Research for the WaNPRC, holding that position since 2021.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories聽here聽and you can email him聽here.