# 02 Research Animal Support Facility-Houston/Smithville

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · 2021 · $1,349,913

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY: RESEARCH ANIMAL SUPPORT FACILITY (RASF)
The Research Animal Support Facility in Houston (RASF-H) and the RASF in Smithville (RASF-S) are
centralized AAALAC International accredited core animal resources providing housing, procedure space, and
research services to support MD Anderson's animal research studies. Dr. Peggy Tinkey, the previous RASF
director, is retiring as of 1/2/2019. Dr. Vanessa Jensen has been appointed to serve as the director as of
9/1/2018, with Dr. Lezlee Coghlan serving as co-director. The 132,212 sq ft RASF-H facilities include barrier,
hazard containment (biological/chemical/radioisotope) and quarantine areas for rodents, rabbits, fish, dogs,
pigs, and primates. Specialized infrastructure and services include use of “smart technology” to support
operations (facility and building automation and computerized animal management systems), surgical suites,
irradiators, and veterinary pathology laboratories. RASF faculty collaborate in the design and operation of
specialized areas for behavioral, gnotobiotic, metabolism, and PDX rodent models. The 26,608 sq ft RASF-S is
located at the 700-acre Science Park campus in central Texas and has 3 components: Animal Resource
Services (ARS), Laboratory Animal Genetic Services (LAGS), and the Research Histology, Pathology, and
Imaging Core (RHPI). The RASF's average daily cage census has increased 11% from grant Yr37. RASF-H
served 264 cancer center members in 67 departments and all 16 CCSG programs, and RASF-S components
supported 56 cancer center members in 23 departments and 16 CCSG programs. Most usage of RASF is from
the Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, Gastrointestinal Cancers, and Cancer Biology and Metastasis programs.
During the current award period, the institution has provided approximately $15M in infrastructure and facility
renovations, as well as $3,577,599 for the purchase of new equipment. In Yr42, peer-reviewed funding
accounted for 96% of the total usage of the RASF. The annual operating budget of the RASF in Yr44 is
expected to be $15,636,634, 6% ($875,532) of which is requested from the CCSG, with institutional support of
$4,718,397 (30%) and philanthropic or other grant support of $589,831 (4%). The RASF has contributed to 881
manuscripts during the current award period, of which 632 (72%) were in journals with IF >5, and 255 (29%) in
journals with IF >10. The Specific Aims are: Aim 1: To provide high-quality, state-of-the-art, affordable animal
facilities that enhance animal study reproducibility by controlling for and minimizing variables, including factors
that affect the environment, animal health, model fidelity, and data integrity. Aim 2: To provide expert
consultation and collaboration in areas including animal husbandry, veterinary care, surgical and imaging
techniques, and rodent colony management. Aim 3: To provide specialized services such as rodent-specific
genetic characterization and research histology for both live animals and cell lines,...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10212250
- **Project number:** 5P30CA016672-45
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Vanessa Jensen
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,349,913
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1996-08-28 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10212250

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10212250, 02 Research Animal Support Facility-Houston/Smithville (5P30CA016672-45). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10212250. Licensed CC0.

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