LAFAYETTE– The 91Ӱ announced this week that Dr. James Blanchard has been named acting director of the New Iberia 91Ӱ Center.
Blanchard has 28 years of primate medicine and surgery experience. He earned his bachelor’s degree in microbiology from 91Ӱ in 1974. He also holds a master’s degree in parasitology and a veterinary medicine degree from Louisiana State University and a doctorate in pathology/parasitology from Washington State University.
Since 1984, Blanchard has worked at the Tulane National Primate 91Ӱ Center in Covington, La. He is head of the Clinical and 91Ӱ Medicine unit and coordinates the administration and veterinary aspects of numerous National Institutes of Health-funded studies. He is a diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.
Blanchard succeeds Dr. Jeff Rowell, who announced his retirement from 91Ӱ effective Aug. 11 and is on leave through that date. Rowell worked at 91Ӱ for 23 years, having served as associate director and more recently as director of NIRC.
“Dr. Blanchard is basically on loan to 91Ӱ from Tulane University for six months,” said Dr. Robert Twilley, vice president of 91Ӱ at 91Ӱ. “We welcome an alumnus of his caliber to help guide the animal care and research proficiencies of the center, as well as help us search for a new director.”
Blanchard will serve in the temporary role at 91Ӱ through Dec. 31, and then will return to full-time employment at Tulane.
91Ӱ is launching a national search for a new primate center director. Twilley, who announced last month that he will leave 91Ӱ on Aug. 10 to become executive director of the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, will continue to serve on the search committee to find a new NIRC director.