UCLA

Lab Orientation Information

Welcome to the Blaisdell Lab of Comparative Cognition

These are the bureaucratic hoops you’ll have to jump through to join the lab:

• To participate in the Student Research Program (SRP, http://www.ugresearchsci.ucla.edu/srpintro.htm) and get units for working in the lab you’ll have to enroll in Honors 99.  Sign in to MyUCLA and click on the link for SRP. Click on “Submit a new contract.” In the text box asking what your duties will be you can enter “I will assist with behavioral research involving rats, pigeons, and hermit crabs.” When you’ve completed the contract, click on “submit form.”  Print out your contract, have Dr. Blaisdell sign it and turn it in to the Undergraduate Research Center in the Life Science building by 5pm of Friday of second week of the quarter. Note, the SRP program is only for UCLA undergraduate researchers, not volunteers or interns from outside UCLA.

• All new members joining the lab must follow the instructions to log in to UCLA Worksafe. https://worksafe.ucla.edu/

• You must fill out a Medical History Questionnaire (MHQ). The Occupational Health staff at UCLA want to make sure you’ve had certain necessary vaccines.

• The UCLA Animal Research Committee (ARC) certifies researchers to be able to work with animals in research and instruction contexts. The certification program has two parts: a written exam and species-specific training (the Rodent User’s Wetlab). Go to http://ora.research.ucla.edu/OARO/Pages/education.aspx and follow the instructions for the training and certifications. You will need the following to work in Dr. Blaisdell’s lab:
  • CITI Program Training
  • Rat User’s Wet Lab. (Only if you will be working with rats.)

• Ask Dr. Blaisdell to invite you to join the lab Slack group which we used to communicate to the lab.

• Complete the Blaisdell Lab Safety Inspection form below and hand in to Dr. Blaisdell.

• Complete the Pigeon handling and procedure training and sign documentation form below. Hand in to Dr. Blaisdell

Note, if you are a volunteer or visitor not currently affiliated with UCLA, you must first fill out a volunteer packet supplied by the Psychology Department. Once you submit your volunteer packet, you will be given a UID.

Next you will obtain a UCLA BruinCard and a UCLA Login ID.

• Obtain a UCLA Bruin Card.
• Create a UCLA Login ID.

• Request access to the lab by emailing Dr. Blaisdell your name and UID.
• Ask Dr. Blaisdell to invite you to the lab Slack account.

• When you have completed all of the items marked with an ‘X’ in the new member check list below, print it out and return to Dr. Blaisdell.