Dr Johnny Roughan

Background

Background

My research career began at Queen's University Belfast following completion of a degree in Zoology, with major emphasis on animal behaviour. In 1994 I completed a PhD in electrophysiology at Queen's. My early research on electrophysiological processes during anaesthesia led to a more general interest in veterinary anaesthesia. In 1994 I accepted the post of Research Associate at Newcastle University. The main emphasis of the work completed since joining the university has been on refinements to improve the welfare of laboratory animals.

Roles and Responsibilities

Responsible for research project design and statistics, supervision of undergraduate and post-graduate and post-doctoral students. I also provide general guidance and training in research methodology and statistics, managing research grants, drafting research publications, editing and reviewing publications of other researchers in the group, and preparing grant submissions.

Qualifications

BSc, PhD

Previous Positions

Junior Research Associate

Research Associate

Senior Research Associate

Staff Scientist

Memberships

International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management

International Association for the Study of Pain

Honours and Awards

2007 Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations award for Laboratory Animal Science and Welfare

Languages

English, some French

Informal Interests

Golf, Fishing.

Research

Research Interests

Developing methods for assessing and alleviating post-operative pain and distress in laboratory rats, mice, rabbits and other common species, and developing and implementing welfare refinements more generally. A main priority is developing educational materials so other researchers and interested parties have the most up to date information available on new methods to improve laboratory animal welfare standards. Developing new methods to address animal welfare issues, such as automatic behaviour analysis systems, that will speed progress on recognising signs of pain and distress and testing preventative treatments.

Other Expertise

Applying electrophysiological measurements in rodents to investigate the neurophysiological basis of sleep, anaesthesia, arousal and hyperarousal (seizures).

Current Work

Present research is focused on determining whether mice undergoing neoplasia for cancer research experience pain, and if so, to establish how severe this is, and what methods can be implemented to prevent or alleviate it. I am evaluating a new computerised method to analyse the behaviour of mice; which if successful, has broad implications for improving upon our present abilities to make welfare advances in mice and rats.

Assessing rats' requirement for relief from post-operative pain via self-administration studied is another major aspect of my current research.

Future Research

Developing methods to assess subjective/affective state changes that pain causes in animals. Investigating use of these and other motivational changes in animals experiencing pain as objective tools to try to address the presently unknown issue of how animals in pain 'feel'. This will be by developing methods to assess changes in cognitive bias and affective state changes caused by pain. Other techniques that can be used to assess the subjective/affective properties of pain are self-assessment studies, where an animals motivation to obtain relief from pain can be a valuable too to gauge its intensity and duration.

Research Roles

Responsible for research project design and statistics, supervision of undergraduate and co- or part-supervision of post-graduate and post-doctoral students. I also provide general guidance and training in research methodology and statistics training, and am involved in organising research group meeting and journal club, managing research grants, drafting research publications, editing and reviewing publications of other researchers in the group, and preparing grant submissions.

Postgraduate Supervision

Neurophysiological bases of anaesthesia, pain and analgesia.

Pain assessment and alleviation, and welfare advancement in animals.

Esteem Indicators

I have a h-index of 29 with more than 2500 citations of published articles. I have presented at over 100 domestic and 40 international conferences.

I was the recipient of 2007 Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations prize for animal welfare.

Keywords

Pain, Analgesia, Rat, Mouse, Mice, Rabbit, Anaesthesia, Meloxicam, Carprofen, Buprenorphine, Self-administration, Behaviour, Automated behaviour analysis

Teaching

Undergraduate Teaching

Lecturer: Experimental design Module PED 301 (final year, Pharmacology).

Postgraduate Teaching

Lecturer Experimental design CBC’s Home Office Module 5.
Seminars and tutorials RCVS/Home Office course for new laboratory animal veterinarians
Seminars as part of CBC 2 day short course on animal pain assessment.

Publications

• Articles

  • Miller AL, Roughan JV. Welfare assessment, end-point refinement and the effects of non-aversive handling in C57BL/6 mice with Lewis lung cancer. Animals 2022, 12(1), 23.
  • Redaelli V, Bosi A, Luzi F, Cappella P, Zerbi P, Ludwig N, Lernia DD, Roughan JV, Porcu L, Soranna D, Parati G, Calvillo L. Neuroinflammation, body temperature and behavioural changes in CD1 male mice undergoing acute restraint stress: An exploratory study. PLoS ONE 2021, 16(11), e0259938.
  • Henderson LJ, Smulders TV, Roughan JV. Identifying obstacles preventing the uptake of tunnel handling methods for laboratory mice: An international thematic survey. PLOS One 2020, 15(4), e0231454.
  • Henderson LJ, Dani B, Serrano EMN, Smulders TV, Roughan JV. Benefits of tunnel handling persist after repeated restraint, injection and anaesthesia. Scientific Reports 2020, 10(1), 14562.
  • Roughan JV, Sevenoaks T. Welfare and Scientific Considerations of Tattooing and Ear Tagging for Mouse Identification. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 2019, 58(2), 142-153.
  • Redaelli V, Papa S, Marsella G, Grignaschi G, Bosi A, Ludwig N, Luzi F, Vismara I, Rimondo S, Veglianese P, Tepteva S, Mazzola S, Zerbi P, Porcu L, Roughan JV, Parati G, Calvillo L. A refinement approach in a mouse model of rehabilitation research. Analgesia strategy, reduction approach and infrared thermography in spinal cord injury. PLoS ONE 2019, 14(10), e0224337.
  • Lofgren J, Miller AL, Lee CSS, Bradshaw C, Flecknell P, Roughan JV. Analgesics promote welfare and sustain tumour growth in orthotopic 4T1 and B16 mouse cancer models. Laboratory Animals 2018, 52(4), 351-364.
  • Miller A, Burson H, Soeling A, Roughan J. Welfare assessment following heterotopic or orthotopic inoculation of bladder cancer in C57BL/6 mice. PLoS One 2016, 11(7), e0158390.
  • Roughan JV, Bertrand HGMJ, Isles HM. Meloxicam prevents COX-2-mediated post-surgical inflammation but not pain following laparotomy in mice. European Journal of Pain 2016, 20(2), 231-240.
  • Thomas AA, Miller AL, Roughan JV, Malik A, Haylor KE, Sanderson C, Flecknell PA, Leach M. Efficacy of intrathecal morphine in a model of surgical pain in rats. PLOS One 2016, 11(10), e0163909.
  • Roughan JV, Coulter CA, Flecknell PA, Thomas HD, Sufka KJ. The Conditioned Place Preference Test for Assessing Welfare Consequences and Potential Refinements in a Mouse Bladder Cancer Model. PLoS One 2014, 9(8), e103362.
  • Wright-Williams S, Flecknell PA, Roughan JV. Comparative Effects of Vasectomy Surgery and Buprenorphine Treatment on Faecal Corticosterone Concentrations and Behaviour Assessed by Manual and Automated Analysis Methods in C57 and C3H Mice. PLoS ONE 2013, 8(9), e75948.
  • Miller AL, Wright-Williams SL, Flecknell PA, Roughen JV. A comparison of abdominal and scrotal approach methods of vasectomy and the influence of analgesic treatment in laboratory mice. Laboratory Animals 2012, 46(4), 304-310.
  • Hawkins P, Morton DB, Burman O, Dennison N, Honess P, Jennings M, Lane S, Middleton V, Roughan JV, Wells S, Westwood K. A guide to defining and implementing protocols for the welfare assessment of laboratory animals: eleventh report of the BVAAWF/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW Joint Working Group on Refinement. Laboratory Animals 2011, 45(1), 1-13.
  • Miller AL, Flecknell PA, Leach MC, Roughan JV. A comparison of a manual and an automated behavioural analysis method for assessing post-operative pain in mice. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 2011, 131(3-4), 138-144.
  • Murphy KL, Roughan JV, Baxter MG, Flecknell PA. Anaesthesia with a combination of ketamine and medetomidine in the rabbit: effect of premedication with buprenorphine. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia 2010, 37(3), 222-229.
  • Leach MC, Bailey HE, Dickinson AL, Roughan JV, Flecknell PA. A preliminary investigation into the practicality of use and duration of action of slow-release preparations of morphine and hydromorphone in laboratory rats. Laboratory Animals 2010, 44(1), 59-65.
  • Roughan JV, Wright-Williams SL, Flecknell PA. Automated analysis of postoperative behaviour: assessment of HomeCageScan as a novel method to rapidly identify pain and analgesic effects in mice. Laboratory Animals 2009, 43(1), 17-26.
  • Roughan JV, Flecknell PA. Training in behaviour-based post-operative pain scoring in rats - An evaluation based on improved recognition of analgesic requirements. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 2006, 96(3-4), 327-342.
  • Roughan JV, Flecknell PA. Behaviour-based assessment of the duration of laparotomy-induced abdominal pain and the analgesic effects of carprofen and buprenorphine in rats. Behavioural Pharmacology 2004, 15(7), 461-472.
  • Roughan JV, Flecknell PA, Davies BR. Behavioural assessment of the effects of tumour growth in rats and the influence of tne analgesics carprofen and meloxicam. Laboratory Animals 2004, 38(3), 286-296.
  • Sabrine N, Platt MPW, Roughan JV, Flecknell PA. [abstract] Assessment of post-operative pain in infants and neonates. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology 2004, 22(3), 237.
  • Roughan JV, Flecknell PA. Evaluation of a short duration behaviour-based post-operative pain scoring system in rats. European Journal of Pain 2003, 7(5), 397-406.
  • Hedenqvist P, Orr HE, Roughan JV, Antunes LM, Flecknell PA. Anaesthesia with ketamine/medetomidine in the rabbit: influence of route of administration and the effect of combination with butorphanol. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia 2002, 29(1), 14-19.
  • Roughan JV, Flecknell PA. Behavioural effects of laparotomy and analgesic effects of ketoprofen and carprofen in rats. Pain 2001, 90(1-2), 65-74.
  • Roughan JV, Flecknell PA. Effects of surgery and analgesic administration on spontaneous behaviour in singly housed rats. Research in Veterinary Science 2000, 69(3), 283-288.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)

  • Rocha GS, Roughan J, Leach M, Flecknell P, Ingram CD, Brandt K. Antinociceptive Activities of Hyptis crenata Pohl. In: II International Symposium on Medicinal and Nutraceutical Plants. 2013, New Delhi, India: International Society for Horticultural Science.

• Letters

  • Roughan JV, Bertrand HGMJ, Isles HM. Comment on Roughan et al.: Meloxicam prevents COX-2-mediated post-surgical inflammation but not pain following laparotomy in mice Reply. European Journal of Pain 2016, 20(7), 1196-1197.
  • Roughan JV, Flecknell PA. Pain assessment and control in laboratory animals. Laboratory Animals 2003, 37(2), 172-172.

• Review

  • Roughan JV, Flecknell PA. Buprenorphine: a reappraisal of its antinociceptive effects and therapeutic use in alleviating post-operative pain in animals. Laboratory Animals 2002, 36(3), 322-343.