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About
Comparative medicine plays an essential role in biomedical discovery by looking for similarities and differences between disease in humans and animals. Thus, animal models enable scientists to better understand, diagnose, prevent, and treat human diseases. Often serving as a bridge between basic science and human medicine, animal models have enabled numerous major medical advances—among them safe and effective vaccines, including hepatitis A and hepatitis B immunizations, improved cancer treatments, blood transfusions, organ transplantation, bypass surgery, and joint replacement. Animal models are actively used to understand the causes of, and develop therapies for, almost all human conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and neurodegenerative and infectious diseases, such as COVID-19.
The Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM) within ORIP works to—
- Ensure that NIH-supported researchers have access to, and facilities for, animal models critical to research.
- Support phenotypic and genetic characterization of animal models and the development of new and improved long-term storage of animal germplasm.
- Support studies aimed at improving the welfare and husbandry of laboratory animals.
- Enable career development and translational research training for veterinary students, veterinarians, and postdoctoral investigators who use animal models.
- Increase public–private partnership opportunities with small businesses.
For more detailed information, please see the DCM resources on ORIP's Fact Sheets page or view the DCM Program Guidelines.
For information on NIH's animal use policies, please visit the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare or Animals in NIH Research pages.
Initiatives
Today’s biomedical researchers have a wide variety of model systems from which to choose when studying human biology and disease states. These studies are essential to address a variety of scientific questions, from basic science to the development and assessment of novel vaccines or therapies. For example, therapeutic approaches can be tested for safety and effectiveness in animal models prior to human clinical trials. ORIP seeks to provide better models of human disease conditions of interest to multiple NIH institutes, centers, and offices (ICOs). ORIP gathers diverse input from NIH leadership, ICO staff, and the broad biomedical community to develop new programs and initiatives. New initiatives allow for the provision of support for innovative research expected to address high-priority challenges for NIH ICOs and make a broad impact on the scientific community.
Research Resources Directory
ORIP’s Division of Comparative Medicine supports a variety of resource and research centers that develop animal models of human biology and disease and provide them to biomedical researchers around the world. These centers develop, characterize, house, cryopreserve, and distribute both wild-type reference strains of animals, as well as mutant strains. Depositing animals with rare and useful mutations at repositories can protect them from loss due to disease or accident and lower the costs of maintaining them. Continuous research activities by the scientists at these resource sites generate new knowledge and enhance the overall value of the resources to the research community. View ORIP’s Fact Sheets and Resources page to learn more.
Management Programs
Training and Career Development
ORIP advances biomedical research by supporting the creation of animal models of human disease and related key infrastructure, enabling access to state-of-the-art instrumentation, providing educational training programs, and assisting small businesses to develop new technologies. ORIP supports training and career development programs specifically for veterinary students and veterinarians seeking to enter the field of biomedical research. Scientists with veterinary medical expertise contribute to animal, molecular, and genomic studies and translational research that benefits human health. See our Fact Sheet for an overview of ORIP's training programs.
Institutional Research Training Grants
Search Awarded Grants
Information on grants awarded by NIH may be searched by using the Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT). RePORT provides access to reports, data, and analyses of NIH research activities, including information on NIH expenditures and the results of NIH-supported research.
Staff Contacts
| Name | Title | Scientific Expertise | Programs | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephanie Murphy, V.M.D., Ph.D. | Director | Neuroscience, comparative medicine | Human Tissue and Organ Research Resource (HTORR) | stephanie.murphy@nih.gov | 301-435-0744 |
| Bettina Buhring, Ph.D. | Health Scientist Administrator | Neuroscience, cognition, electrophysiology | National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs) | bettina.buhring@nih.gov | 301-435-0744 |
| Susan Chandran | Program Analyst | susan.chandran@nih.gov | 301-496-3835 | ||
| Miguel Contreras, Ph.D. | Health Scientist Administrator | Neuroscience, biochemistry (peroxisomal metabolism and disorders) | Vertebrate resources (aquatic, swine, venomous snakes), small business opportunities | miguel.contreras@nih.gov | 301-594-9410 |
| Oleg Mirochnitchenko, Ph.D. | Health Scientist Administrator | Biochemistry, animal disease models, molecular virology | Rodent disease models and resources, Knockout Mouse Phenotyping Program (KOMP2), stem cell/regenerative medicine programs, Centers for Precision Disease Modeling, Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE) centers, primary contact for P40 applications | oleg.mirochnitchenko@nih.gov | 301-435-0748 |
| Yongjun Sui, Ph.D. | Health Scientist Administrator | yongjun.sui@nih.gov | 301-435-0776 | ||
| Ritesh Tandon, Ph.D. | Health Scientist Administrator | Veterinary medicine, animal models, microbiology, virology | Specialized research training in animal models and related resources | ritesh.tandon@nih.gov | 301-594-5304 |
| Sige Zou, Ph.D. | Health Scientist Administrator | Genetics, molecular biology | Invertebrates; genetic, biological, and information resources; genetics and genomics of animal models; primary contact for R21 and R24 applications and HIV-related research | sige.zou@nih.gov | 301-435-0749 |