Turner Scientific is proud to award Dr. Amber Southwell with the 2022 Sensory Sentinel grant to promote animal welfare and improved research.
Dr. Southwell holds multiple positions in the neuroscience space, including Co-Director at the Central Florida Center for Huntington's Disease; Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences; and Director of the rodent behavior facility at the University of Central Florida Health Sciences campus in Orlando, Florida.
Dr. Southwell has focused her career on developing strategies for the treatment of Huntington's disease (HD), the most commonly inherited neurodegenerative disease. HD is a devastating condition that results in gradually progressive deterioration of movement, behavior, cognition, and reasoning. There is no cure for HD, and full time care is required at later stages of the disease.
HD research requires the use of sensitive genetic lines of test animals, and Dr. Southwell's proposal effectively embraced the purpose of the Sensory Sentinel in protecting these animals. "The Sensory Sentinel measures all important variables and tracks employee activities. Therefore, it will be indispensable in helping us to identify and eliminate any potential stressors to promote the welfare of our animals," stated Dr. Southwell.
Dr. Southwell will receive a Sensory Sentinel device and adequate consultation to allow for proper installation, use, and interpretation of data.
Support offered to additional grant applicants
We received many strong applications for the 2022 Sensory Sentinel grant from a variety of well-qualified researchers. While it is unfortunate that we cannot offer a device for each candidate, we are happy to be supporting research projects and facility inspections for selected additional applicants. Each will be provided with temporary use of a Sensory Sentinel and technical support for a specific research study or facility inspection. Recipients include:
Dr. Tapiwa Makwavarara, University of Capetown - Capetown, South Africa
Dr. Jeremy D. Bailoo, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center - Lubbock, TX
Past Winner of the Sensory Sentinel grant
2021: Craig A. Hodges, Ph.D.
Dr. Hodges is Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. He is a leading researcher into the causes and treatments of cystic fibrosis (CF).