Erin N.Z. Yu, DVM, DACLAM, Director of the Division of Animal Care (DAC) and Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology in the Division of Comparative Medicine, has been chosen to serve as Executive Director for the Vanderbilt Health Animal Care and Use Program.
Yu succeeds Jeanne Wallace, DVM, DACLAM, Vice President for Animal Care and Director of the Division of Comparative Medicine, who is retiring at the end of the academic year after 20 years of service to Vanderbilt Health.
As Executive Director of the Animal Care and Use Program, Yu will provide strategic oversight for research infrastructure and regulatory compliance and serve as the attending veterinarian.
The Vanderbilt Health research enterprise is built on a foundation of collaboration and partnership. The Animal Care and Use Program encompasses animal care and facility operations, veterinary clinical services, regulatory compliance and IACUC support, and comparative and translational pathology services in support of the organization’s biomedical research enterprise.
Through collaboration, expert guidance and commitment to ethical research practices, the Animal Care and Use Program ensures that all animal studies are conducted with the highest standards of care and integrity. By supporting responsible animal research, Vanderbilt Health continues to advance scientific discovery and improve health care while prioritizing welfare and regulatory compliance.
Over her nearly two decades of progressive leadership in the DAC, Yu has served in a series of successively responsible administrative roles and has led the division through six Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) site visits, has advanced animal colony health through innovative approaches, and is directing a multiyear master planning initiative for the animal facility infrastructure. AAALAC, International is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes humane treatment of animals in science through a voluntary accreditation and assessment program.
“Dr. Yu is an accomplished leader whose deep expertise in laboratory animal medicine and longstanding commitment to excellence have been instrumental to Vanderbilt’s research enterprise,” said Jennifer Pietenpol, PhD, Chief Scientific and Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President for Research for Vanderbilt Health. “Her dedication to advancing animal care, fostering collaboration, and upholding the highest standards of ethical research positions her to lead the Animal Care and Use Program with excellence. We are confident her vision and leadership will continue to advance our ecosystem of innovative and responsible biomedical discovery.”
Yu has been elected to senior leadership roles in the two primary laboratory animal veterinary organizations, serving previously as president and board member of the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners and currently as a member of the Board of Directors for the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. She was recently appointed as an ad hoc site visitor for AAALAC, International.
“I am honored to be named Executive Director of the Animal Care and Use Program,” said Yu. “Vanderbilt Health’s commitment to scientific excellence and the highest standards of animal care is central to its research mission. I look forward to working with our dedicated faculty, staff and institutional leaders to continue strengthening the program and supporting innovative, impactful research.”
Yu earned a Bachelor of Science in animal and veterinary sciences from West Virginia University and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
