Preclinical Translational Services

A Specialized Preclinical Resource

Make Preclinical Translation Services part of your translational research team. As part of the Center for Industry Research Collaboration at Wake Forest Innovations, our goal is to provide preclinical research expertise and services for faculty engaging with industry and other funding agencies.

About Preclinical Translational Services

Preclinical Translational Services is an on-site research support team dedicated to facilitating the use of preclinical models to help you improve patient outcomes. Whether you are working on a grant or industry-sponsored study, our team is ready to support the success of your preclinical study.

We provide high-caliber clinical veterinary, investigative surgical, and technical expertise, as well as advice about study design and animal model development. We are experienced in large animal models such as pigs, sheep and nonhuman primates. We offer whatever level of support you need, including as-needed technical assistance, surgical procedures, clinical care and oversight, or coordinating all aspects of the preclinical study in collaboration with you.

Preclinical Translational Services adds distinct value to studies by giving investigators access to a scalable team of expert veterinarian clinicians and surgeons and highly trained technical staff who partner with faculty to conduct preclinical research protocols.

The team is led by Susan Appt, DVM, associate professor and section head of Comparative Medicine / Pathology, and Heather DeLoid, DVM, assistant professor of Comparative Medicine and associate surgical research veterinarian. DeLoid has surgical expertise in a wide variety of animal models and serves on the Wake Forest IACUC. The technical staff of Preclinical Translational Services has over 30 years combined research experience.

Our Expertise

Draw on our skills and expertise to expand your study capabilities and produce quality preclinical data. Explore all the ways that Preclinical Translational Services can contribute to the success of your study.

Surgical and Anesthetic Expertise

Our team can complement your research expertise by providing surgical or technical support for routine or complicated surgical or anesthetic procedures.

Clinical Veterinary Capabilities

Our team has the clinical veterinary experience to manage a variety of disease models and provide veterinary oversight for the duration of your study, including animal care, enrichment and housing.

Large animal studies

We provide support for many large animal models, including sheep, pigs and nonhuman primates.

Model development

In addition to a range of established animal models, our team offers expertise in developing custom animal models. We can help you develop an animal model uniquely suited for your research needs.

Diet formulation

Our diet preparation lab develops custom nonhuman primate and other animal diets that can include therapeutics or represent various human nutritional environments, such as Western and Mediterranean-like diets.

Good Laboratory Practices

If your preclinical study needs to be GLP-compliant, we have the training and the state-of-the-art facilities necessary to run GLP studies that produce the quality results your grant or industry sponsor expects.

Ready to Start a Study?

If you are faculty or staff of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and would like to work with Preclinical Translational services, please complete our request form. For industry members and external partners, please complete the contact form here.

Take a Closer Look

Download our brochure to learn more about how Preclinical Translational Services can support your study, including a list of common procedures, imaging capabilities and other unique resources.

Benefits of Working with Preclinical Translational Services

When you partner with us, we become an extension of your study team. Our purpose is to complement your expertise.
Study Design
Get the most mileage out of our team by including us in the beginning of your study. As you design your study, we can help you choose the appropriate animal model, set the scope and write the IACUC protocol based on our knowledge of animal care and procedures. Whether you are working on a grant application or an industry proposal, we can help you determine a realistic budget and timeline—details which can create smooth sailing for the future of your study.
Animal Models
Your study may require an animal model you haven’t used before or don’t have access to. We can help you gain access to our nonhuman primate resources, and we are experienced at sourcing animals from other locations to meet the requirements of your study. We house many of our nonhuman primates socially according to European Standards and follow strict protocols to ensure your animals receive the care they need.
Working with Industry
Our team has experience working with pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies. We understand what industry sponsors and regulatory bodies expect from preclinical data, and we can ensure the data from your study will meet their expectations. We partner with the Alliance Management team that facilitates collaboration with industry by managing the contract process and providing project management support.
Facilities & Equipment
By collaborating with us, you also gain access to our state-of-the-art GLP-compliant surgical suite and associated specialized equipment, such as fluoroscopy and laparoscopy.

Interested in Our Services?

Start a conversation with our Preclinical Translational Services team to discuss the ways they can support your translational research. Or if you already know what services you need, you can fill out our request form.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.