Dear KALAS members,

As the 21st president of Korean Association for Laboratory Animal Science (KALAS), I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all KALAS members.

KALAS has developed into a pivotal academic society in the field of biomedical science research for 40 years since 1985. I will strive to play a key role in the field of laboratory animals without losing our identity and originality, as KALAS has done so far.

First, I will further boost our academic activities. To celebrate the 40th anniversary, we will hold an international symposium and a vision declaration ceremony. As a result of the efforts of many KALAS members, our journal 'Laboratory Animal Research (LAR),’ was listed on ESCI in 2021 and Scopus in 2022. Furthermore, I will continue to support LAR to be listed in SCIE Journal.

Second, I will further strengthen our international capabilities. We successfully held the 9th AFLAS in 2023 with approximately 1,400 attendees from 29 countries. We will strive to improve our systems and programs to develop into an academic society that can demonstrate international capabilities. First of all, we will develop and establish systems and programs for researchers in the Asia-Pacific region to participate and present in our international symposium.

Third, I will actively support the improvement of the professional status of the Korean Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT). KALAS is an academic organization that certifies LAT levels 1 and 2. In addition, KALAS is leading the standardized education that is essential for animal experiments in Korea. We will provide the necessary support for LAT to lead the activity.

Fourth, I will grow into an academic society where our members actively communicate and enjoy activities. I will continue to provide opportunities to actively communicate with executive members who work with professionalism and responsibility. We will hold regular meetings and support for industry members who actively participate and provide opinions for the development of KALAS. To ensure that new researchers continue to join KALAS, we will develop programs that graduate students and postdoctoral researchers can access familiarly and interact with them. We will also support fun meetings in which KALAS members can participate.

I deeply appreciate the privilege of contributing to the future and prosperity of KALAS.

Warm regards,

Yang-Kyu Choi, D.V.M., Ph.D., DKCLAM
The Korean Association for Laboratory Science (KALAS)