My first #shockcon

My first #shockcon

My first #shockcon

We are now less than a week away from #shockcon in Toronto! For many, this will be the first conference they have attended in person for quite some time. Over the next few weeks, we are inviting Shock members to blog about their first #shockcon – to share their thoughts on what the Shock Society means to them – and to tells us what they looking forward to most at #shockcon 2022.

Changes will be made to the Shock journal to streamline the review process and allow easier submission of manuscripts. Here are four changes that will be implemented, please check the Shock journal website for up-to-date information: https://journals.lww.com/shockjournal

Dear Shock Society members, 

As many of you know, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) supports a broad portfolio of shock, trauma, and critical illness focused research. Indeed, the research programs of many Shock Society members are funded by the NIGMS. Below is information regarding an upcoming webinar about the NIGMS, Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program.

Welcome to the Shock Society Blog

Those of you that check in on the Shock Society’s website from time to time might have noticed a link entitled ‘Shock Blog-Coming soon’. Well, it is no longer ‘coming soon’ but it is here!

Preclinical research relies heavily on appropriate animal models to better understand human biology and to test the safety and efficacy of new therapies. It is of upmost importance that researchers continually strive to optimize preclinical models, both from the standpoint of animal welfare, and to promote the translatability of preclinical data to the clinic.

Guidelines in the US recommend housing laboratory rodents at temperatures ranging from 20-26°C (1). Most vivaria that I have worked in seem split the difference, housing rodents at around 22-24°C. I have always assumed that this temperature range has become the norm as it is one that is comfortable for PPE clad humans – something I can attest to having recently had building maintenance at my institution adjust the ambient temperature in one of our rodent holding rooms to 30°C. However, there is an abundance of empirical data indicating that housing temperatures in the low to mid 20°Cs likely represents mild cold stress for rodents (see (2) for a detailed review on rodent thermoneutrality).