Facilities, Instruments & Activities

Research · Central Animal Research Facility

Facilities, Instruments & Activities

Central Animal Research Facility (CARF) at RAKMHSU

At present, there are 12 ongoing pre-clinical research projects at CARF in the field of cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, peptic ulcer, pain, inflammation, chemotherapy-induced toxicities, obesity, diabetes mellitus, wound, cognition, depression, and anxiety. Students and Faculty of constituent colleges of RAKMHSU are involved in pre-clinical research projects. Some of the ongoing projects are in collaboration with other Universities in UAE where animal research facility is not available. We also have ongoing research projects sponsored by the Pharmaceutical industries. We provide our expert opinion to the pharmaceutical industries to develop new molecules/formulations and their pre-clinical screening against human diseases.

Experimental Animal Infrastructure

Rodent Models: Wistar rats and BALB/c mice for extensive preclinical studies.
Expertise in modeling human diseases, including:
- Cardiovascular: cardiotoxicity, hypertension, heart failure
- Metabolic: diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia
- Neurological: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cognitive impairment
- Oncology: cancer induction and therapeutic evaluation
- Hepatic & Renal: hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity
- Immunological & Infectious: immunosuppression, infectious disease (BSL-2)
- Inflammatory and Pain Models: arthritis, inflammatory conditions, nociception studies
- Ophthalmological: diabetic cataract, age-related cataract, conjunctivitis
Advanced Surgical & Physiological Platforms: Novel surgical models, real-time physiological monitoring, and automated data capture.

Cardiovascular Research Laboratories

Non-invasive ECG and blood pressure monitoring systems (EMKA Technologies, France; Kent Scientific, USA)
- Real-time quantitative and qualitative cardiovascular assessment
- Non-anesthetic, stress-free operation
Working Heart Apparatus for ex vivo perfusion and cardiac function studies
Integrated software for high-precision data acquisition and analysis

Pain & Behavioral Research Laboratories

Automated Pain Assessment: Hargreaves Apparatus (UGO Basile, Italy)
Behavioral Tracking Platforms: Smart video tracking systems (Pan Lab, Spain)
Cognitive and behavioral paradigms:
- Morris Water Maze, Elevated Plus Maze, Open Field, Light-Dark Box
Enables precise evaluation of learning, memory, anxiety, depression, and exploratory behavior

Biosafety & Diagnostics

BSL-2 Biosafety Infrastructure: For safe handling of infectious disease models
Veterinary Hematology Analyzer: 5-part differential CBC testing for anaemia, infection, inflammation, and immune profiling
Advanced sterilization, animal housing, and environmental control systems

Animal Ethics & Regulatory Oversight

All research activities are governed by the RAKMHSU Animal Ethics Committee (AEC)
Central Animal Research Facility is licensed by:
- Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), UAE
- RAK Environment Protection and Development Authority (EPDA)
Ensures strict adherence to ethical standards, welfare protocols, and international guidelines for preclinical research

Technical & Animal Care Support

Highly trained personnel for animal handling, procedural support, surgical assistance, and monitoring
24/7 animal welfare monitoring with advanced environmental controls
Continuous training programs to ensure best practices in preclinical research and animal care

Support Staff: Mr. Ramesh

Activities

Development and validation of human disease rodent models
Behavioural, cognitive, and pain research
Cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, immunological, and oncological studies
Pharmacological, toxicological, and safety evaluation
Research training and capacity-building workshops
National and international collaborative research initiatives

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