A Bright Tomorrow for Therapeutic Orphans: The Potential for New Approach Methodologies to Bridge Data Gaps for Pregnant Patients
By Matthew Durthaler | July 24th, 2025
“As caution often precludes pregnant humans from serving as models of their own physiology, various non-human animal models have been employed. While these models have displayed some value, they are severely limited by interspecies variation and thus serve as subpar predictors of gravid human physiology.”
Sonogram captured by Matthew Durthaler, used with permission
Our Tiny Allies in Toxicological Testing Part 2 – Transparent Roundworms as Alternative Models
By Aaradhya Diwan | July 10th, 2025
“There are numerous opportunities for using C. elegans as a model for toxicity testing, thanks to their unique advantages and translational relevance to human health, as demonstrated in applications to neuroscience and developmental biology.”
Image by Zeynep F. Altun
Unveiling IACUC members: Triumph for rule of law and animal welfare or a dangerous precedent? A closer look at P. Poe 5 et al. v University of Washington et al.
By Akosua Dufie and Jo Anderson | June 26th, 2025
“While privacy and transparency appear to be contradictory in this instance, their practical implementation are not mutually exclusive. With a careful balancing strategy, both needs can be accommodated and satisfied.”
Image by Pexels
The Silent Strain: Compassion Fatigue in Animal Research Labs
By Shannon Dixon | June 12th, 2025
“Compassion fatigue is not a flaw or a weakness. It is a human response and a natural consequence of empathy.”
Image by Pexels
NAMs and the Funding Frontier: How Modern Toxicology Maximizes Scientific Return on Investment
By Zachary Liebowitz | May 15th, 2025
“Funders are not only looking for scientific merit—they are also scrutinizing value and feasibility. NAMs answer all three.”
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From Roadmap to Reality: Validating NAMs for FDA's Plan to Phase Out Animal Testing
By Yiguang Zhu | May 15th, 2025
“The FDA and the broader scientific community recognize NAMs as a means to obtain 'faster and more accurate human risk assessments' while reducing animal use.”
Image by ChatGPT
Professional Perspectives: Guest Blog by Madeline Krasno, Justify Executive Director
By Madeline Krasno | April 30th, 2025
“What does it reveal about an industry that prides itself on rigorous oversight, ethical review processes, and mental health resources when its own workers feel compelled to voice concerns only under total anonymity?”
Image by Justify
Advancing NAMs for Risk Assessment: Perspectives from SOT 2025
By Breanne Kincaid | April 17th, 2025
“Together, these presentations illustrate a clear shift towards integrated, mechanistically informed risk assessment strategies that reduce the number of animals required to generate toxicity data—paving the way for regulatory frameworks that are both scientifically robust and economically sustainable.”
Image by Breanne Kincaid
Organoid’s Potential to Advance Low Dose Research
By Loza Taye | April 3rd, 2025
“Organoids will have an increasingly important role in shaping our understanding of radiation biology and in the development of policies and medical practices concerning radiation exposure.”
Image by aislan13
Virginia Looks to Require Consideration for Rehoming Primates Formerly Used in Testing
By Rebecca Critser | March 20th, 2025
“If enacted, Virginia would be the first to require laboratories to consider rehoming for non-human primates used in research and testing.”
Image by Tiki Black
Advancing non-animal science and public health progress in the 119th Congress – going for the win-win
By Dr. Paul Locke | March 6th, 2025
“[R]ather than looking back at past accomplishments, it is better to explore what we need for future success in public health and medicine.”
Image by Mike Gillis
Collaboration Over Competition: Advancing the Use of Microphysiological Systems
By Dr. Anicca Harriot | February 20th, 2025
“Federal agencies have the power to define a clear path that drives MPS forward in to further reducing the use of animal testing.”
Professional Perspectives: Refinement in Animal Research: A Crucial Step Toward Ethical Progress
By Sally Thompson-Iritani | February 6th, 2025
“Incorporating refinements in animal research is not optional—it is essential in modern science. The rapid pace of technological advancements and increased public scrutiny make it imperative to adopt comprehensive refinement strategies.“
Unleashing Innovation: The Business Case for New Approach Methods (NAMs)
By Zachary Liebowitz | January 23rd, 2025
“As we stand on the cusp of a new era in science and industry, the case for NAMs is clear. They are more than a set of tools—they represent a paradigm shift that aligns innovation with ethical responsibility and economic growth.“
The Utility of an Intra-Agency NAM Office
By Breanne Kincaid | January 10th, 2025
“…the FDA’s NAM office represents a strategic evolution in integrating innovative methodologies into regulatory science. While it complements ICCVAM’s mission, its intra-agency focus and regulatory authority position it to drive faster, more context-specific advancements in risk assessment.“
Our Tiny Allies in Toxicological Testing - Zebrafish and their Embryos as Alternative Models
By Aaradhya Diwan | December 19th, 2024
“[Zebrafish] models offer powerful insight for detecting the negative impacts of chemical substances on ecosystem health and human health.”
Accelerating Medical Countermeasure Development through Microphysiological Systems
By Loza Taye | December 5th, 2024
“The DoD should continue to invest in developing and deploying MPS as a solution to the growing challenges of biological and chemical threats. MPS offer an ethical, efficient, timely, and scientifically valid approach to understanding human responses to harmful agents.”
Highlights from the Animal Law Conference in Portland, Oregon
By Paul Locke, Rebecca Critser and Zachary Liebowitz | November 14th, 2024
“The growing body of research indicating the cognitive and emotional capacities of animals has spurred increased interest in their welfare and rights.”
Fifth Circuit Upholds Free Speech Rights of Animal Activist on NIH Social Media Platform
By Rebecca Critser, Zachary Liebowitz and Shannon Dixon | October 31st 2024
“This recent DC Circuit decision highlights the complexity of balancing free speech with content moderation in the context of government sponsored animal testing.”
Professional Perspectives: Swiss Court Prohibits Zebra Finch Experiment
By Katerina Stoykova and Nicole Lüthi | October 17th 2024
“The harm-benefit analysis is a legal requirement under Swiss experimentation law, stipulating that animal experiments are only allowed if the anticipated benefits outweigh the stress inflicted on the animals. The more severe the stress caused by an experiment, the greater the expected benefit must be to justify it.”