Animal Behavior Core

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Understanding Animal Models of Disease

Monitoring animal behavior and physical presentation is key to understanding animal models of disease, as well as assessing the effects of therapeutic agents.

The Animal Behavior Core supports both basic and translational research by providing a variety of tests to meet the researcher’s needs, including but not limited to ultrasound, measurements of social ability, memory and learning, and motor function.

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Equipment and Services

Ultrasound:

  • Vevo 2100 Ultra High Frequency Imaging System

Motor coordination and function:

  • Force grip*
  • Force Plate Actimeter
  • MotoRater*
  • Muscle Contraction
  • Nerve Conduction Velocity
  • Pole climb
  • Rota Rod Rotamex-5
  • Treadmill with shock*

Learning and memory:

  • Barnes maze
  • Morris water maze*
  • Radial arm maze

Visual acuity:

  • Electroretinography (ERG)*
  • Optometry*
  • Visual cliff

Lung physiology:

  • Buxco Small Animal Whole Body Plethysmography*

Social and other behavior:

  • 3-Component Neurological Score 
  • ANY-maze software for different behavioral monitoring
  • Home-cage monitoring
  • Light/dark box test
  • Marble burying test
  • Open field test
  • Tail suspension test
  • Three-chamber sociability test

Circadian Rhythm/Activity

  • Running Wheel Activity Monitors

Heart Function

  • Echocardiogram

*Equipment owned by individual labs, which offer shared usage upon request.

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Meet Our Team

Jill Weimer, PhD

Core Director

Dr. Jill Weimer is a scientist in the Pediatrics and Rare Diseases group at Sanford Research, where she studies the processes that control development in the cerebral cortex and how disruptions in these processes lead to various neuropediatric diseases.

Dr. Weimer holds a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Rochester and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina Neuroscience Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Clarissa Booth, MS

Core Lead

Clarissa Booth joined the Weimer Lab in 2018 to research the efficacy of various gene therapy treatments for different forms of Batten disease.

Booth holds a master’s degree in biology with a neuroscience specialization from the University of South Dakota.

Martee Larson

Core Manager

Martee has been a member of the Weimer Lab since 2020.  In the lab, she helps with the mouse colony management and drug deliveries to the study animals.

She holds a bachelor's degree in Microbiology from SDSU.

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