Sept. 17: The Intersection of Excellence in Animal Welfare, Science, Government Relations and Public Outreach

Helen E. Diggs, MEd, DVM, DACLAM, is Senior Director for North America for AAALAC International, was previously the Attending Veterinarian, Director of Laboratory Animal Resources Center, and a Professor at the Carson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University.  Prior to that she was Attending Veterinarian and Director of the Office of Laboratory Animal Care at the University of California-Berkeley.  She earned her veterinary degrees from Oregon State University and Washington State University, received an Honorary Doctor of Science from Oregon State University, and holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Portland.  She served on the Board of Directors for the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association, the Board of Directors for the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR) and is a past president of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM).  Dr. Diggs served as an AAALAC International ad hoc beginning in 1994 and on AAALAC Council from 2007-2018.  She served as AAALAC International Senior Director from 2019-2023 and is currently the AAALAC International Senior Director for North America.

Brandon Morton - Proposed U.S. Legislative Challenges & Trends in Animal Rights Strategies

Brandon Morton is Government Affairs Director at the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR), will discuss the current state of play in public policy and the animal rights world. The focus of the discussion will be on the current trends animal rights groups use to influence public policy and the associated challenges this causes for the biomedical research community. Brandon began working at NABR in 2021 after working 6 years as a legislative staffer in the United States Senate where he focused on healthcare, animal, and agriculture issues.

Paula Clifford is the executive director of Americans for Medical Progress (AMP), a non-profit organization that helps create and maintain an environment where essential medical advances can continue to be made by companies and academic institutions in the research community.

Before joining AMP, Paula previously, worked for the Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical Research (PSBR) where she led efforts to provide educational programs about biomedical research for K-12 students. Her past professional roles include Co-founder and Vice President of Operations for Animal Care Training Services (ACTS); and Veterinary Technician and then Training Manager for the University Animal Resources Department at the University of Pennsylvania.

Paula has a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University and an Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology from Camden County College. She is a Pennsylvania Licensed Veterinary Technician (CVT) and is certified by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) as a Registered Laboratory Animal Technologist (RLATG).

Program Schedule:              

8:00 am - 9:00 am                    Light breakfast

9:00 am – 9:20 am                   "The Convergence of Excellent Animal Welfare and Science”

                                                   Helen Diggs, MEd, DVM, DACLAM, AALAC International Senior Director for North America

 9:20 am – 9:40 am                    "Proposed U.S. Legislative Challenges & Trends in Animal Rights Strategies”

                                                   Brandon Morton, Director of Government Affairs, National Association for Biomedical Research                                  

 9:40 am – 10:00 am                 "Building Public Trust in Science Through Conversations About Animal Research”

                                                   Paula Clifford, MLA, RLATg, CVT, Executive Director, Americans for Medical Progress

 10:00 am – 10:15 am                Q&A for all speakers

 10:15 am – 10:30 am                Break

 10:30 am – 11:10 am             "AALAC Scenarios: Be the Site Visitor”

                                                Helen Diggs, MEd, DVM, DACLAM, AAALAC International Senior Director for North America

 11:10 am – 12:00 pm             "Talking About Animal Research:  Scenarios and Developing Your Story”

                                                 Paula Clifford, MLA, RLATg, CVT, Executive Director, Americans for Medical Progress