The Master of Laboratory Animal Science (MLAS) degree program in the Stanford University Department of Comparative Medicine is a graduate program designed for students who want to pursue advanced careers in biomedical research, focusing on animal modeling and biomethodology, laboratory animal science, organizational management and facility design, regulations and compliance, and animal welfare.
The program’s academic courses are designed to build a solid foundation for a successful career in laboratory animal science and biomedical research. Graduates often find employment in pharmaceutical companies or universities, or pursue training in medical or veterinary schools. The program was designed to give students the ability to customize their academic research experience.
The Master of Laboratory Animal Science degree program may also be taken by Stanford undergraduate students as a coterminal degree program.
Featured MLAS student projects that go Beyond3Rs
Victor Lujan, MLAS 2025
Corncob bedding is commonly used in laboratory rodent cages, but previous work has linked corncob to altered reproductive and welfare impacts across non-murine rodents. Victor's (he/him) project aimed to determine whether whether corncob bedding influences breeding performance and sexual development in male mice. Exposure to corncob resulted in altered reproductive physiology, morphology, and breeding productivity, raising concerns about its suitability for use in animal housing. Victor will be entering a PhD program at UC Davis in 2026.
Kyna Byrd, MLAS 2023
Kyna Byrd's (they/them) primary research interest is animal welfare and environmental enrichment. Previously as a Master's student in Dr. Garner's lab, their thesis project involved finding creative solutions to improve zebrafish well-being in laboratory settings without compromising the cleanliness of the tank environment. Now, Kyna is working as an Animal Care and Compliance Professional at Arc Institute, implementing welfare solutions to improve the lives of the animals in research.
Kendall Coden, MLAS 2023
Kendall's (she/her) work focused on understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of stereotyped behaviors. There is strong evidence that the presence of stereotypies signifies underlying neurological damage — both an issue of animal welfare as well as an issue in translation from pre-clinical to clinical models. Her work aimed to develop an intervention to prevent onset, or reduce severity of, these behaviors. Kendall is now a neuroscience PhD student at the University of Michigan.