Routine handling and restraint of laboratory animals has profound - but variable - effects on anxiety, stress physiology and underlying neurochemistry. Recently, we have shown remarkably strong differences in anxiety, aversion and behavioural variation in response to alternative methods for routine handling of laboratory mice. The aim of this studentship will be to extend our initial studies to establish practical approaches that can easily be implemented to reduce anxiety and stress responses of laboratory mice to routine handling, restraint and mild procedures. This has the capacity to substantially improve the lifetime experience of mice used in research. The student will also explore whether such approaches reduce variation in experiments that are likely to be influenced by stress and anxiety responses, and will increase reproducibility between experimenters. This has the potential to reduce the numbers of animals needed for research.

• News: Results of mouse studies affected by the way the animals are handled
• News: Recommended techniques for handling lab mice to reduce anxiety
• News: New video tutorial released: mouse handling made easier
• Awards and Prizes: NC3Rs prize for advances in animal welfare, January 2011
• Resources: Mouse handling
• 2017 PhD Studentship Review: Case Study