Professional Perspectives: Guest Blog by Madeline Krasno, Justify Executive Director

By Madeline Krasno | April 30th, 2025

“I work with mice and I would rather die than work this job another year.”

“You’re not alone.”

“I had to personally euthanize each and every mouse/rat in my lab, having trouble coping.”

“I wish I had good advice but, as someone in the same boat, all I can say is we are in this in solidarity.”

Reddit is one of the only places you’ll find animal research industry professionals speaking openly about their work–airing their grievances about the emotional toll of harming and killing animals and the struggle to provide quality care to animals confined to unnatural environments and slated to die.

Reddit allows for total anonymity–meaning individuals need not fear retaliation from the animal research industry or public ridicule for their participation in the highly controversial field.

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? And can a platform like Reddit truly provide the support needed to address compassion fatigue, moral injury, PTSD, and Perpetrator-Induced Traumatic Stress (PITS)?

During my undergraduate studies, I spent two years as a caretaker at one of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s primate research laboratories. This experience was profoundly impactful, leaving me disheartened and with PTSD.

I was 20-years-old when a newborn rhesus monkey had a seizure and died in my hands. The day before, I had walked into work and discovered another rejected newborn lifeless in an incubator. In a single weekend, I placed the bodies of these two newborns inside biohazard bags and into a freezer. It wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last.

When a coworker and I were tasked with removing a dead baby from their mother’s arms because she refused to stop carrying her limp infant, I was struck by the moment the mother quit taking marshmallow treats and retreating back into the carrying cage, clutching her baby, and instead, gently put the baby down, placing her lips on her infant’s forehead; she then retreated back into the carrying cage–this time without the marshmallow and without her baby.

There was no doubt in my mind that the mother knew my coworker’s and my intentions–finally relenting to what felt futile–her baby was taken–whether or not she was ready to let them go.

Once again, I placed a newborn monkey inside a biohazard bag and into a freezer.

“Animals don’t grieve exactly like we do, but this doesn’t mean that their grief isn’t real. It is real, and it’s searing, and we can see it if we choose.” - Dr. Barbara J. King

I struggled to reconcile the unspoken lessons of the lab—that some lives were expendable, that suffering was justified in the name of science. I loved animals. I wanted to care for them, to make their lives better. Yet, I knew that caring too much could earn me the label of "activist"—a term I didn’t associate with myself at the time.

In the lab, trust was fragile, uncertainty was constant, and fear, isolation, and silence were the norm. It’s no surprise that many turn to the anonymity of Reddit as their safest outlet. But I also know that Reddit is not enough.

Open dialogue about the ethics of animal research and its psychological impact on lab workers is essential. Silencing these discussions contradicts science’s core mission of advancing knowledge and improving both human and animal well-being.

After years of silence, I connected with Dr. John Gluck, author of Voracious Science & Vulnerable Animals: A Primate Scientist’s Ethical Journey. His support and validation were empowering, giving me the courage to share my experiences in the primate lab on social media—an act that ultimately led to a free speech lawsuit against my alma mater for censoring me.

As I spoke out, messages of support poured in, including one from my former colleague at the Wisconsin lab, Samantha Issleb. She later shared her story in a guest blog for Rise for Animals.

Samantha concluded the blog, “Thank you for reading. I was inspired to come forward and share my experience because of another University of Wisconsin student and Harlow lab caretaker, Maddie Krasno. Maddie’s bravery despite the attempts by UW-Madison to silence her, made me realize how important it was for me to come forward.”

During our time in the lab, neither of us knew the other was struggling. The silence that kept us isolated then is the very thing Justify is working to break now.

Justify is a groundbreaking organization dedicated to exposing the hidden toll of animal research—on both lab workers and animals—and forging a path toward ethical, human-relevant science. Founded by former lab workers who experienced firsthand the comfort of confiding in each other about their shared background, Justify provides a safe and supportive space for those grappling with the emotional burden of animal research, empowering them to share their experiences and advocate for change.

Justify is the only organization of its kind working to gather, advocate for, and heal individuals from the animal experimentation industry.

Justify’s work has just begun, yet already the impact is being felt. Along with me and Dr. John Gluck, a former graduate student in primate research was interviewed by Vox for the piece, The harrowing lives of animal researchers, which explores the psychological impact animal research has on the humans involved (published 3/3/2025). The student shared this with Justify:

“I just finished reading the Vox article by Celia Ford, and I wanted to take a moment to thank you. If it weren’t for you sharing this opportunity and encouraging me, I don’t think I would have spoken up… Seeing everything laid out in the article and realizing how many of us share these experiences has been both validating and eye-opening. A central theme of the article was isolation and numbness, but bringing so many voices together to expose the realities of lab animal research helped shine a light on what’s often kept in the dark. This was my first time speaking out publicly, and I was definitely nervous, but I’m glad I did, especially since they did a great job keeping me anonymous (I’m ‘Andrew’ in the article). Thank you for giving me that extra push and for always being such a strong advocate. It truly means a lot and fuels my own fire to keep fighting!”

If ever there was a case for Justify, ‘Andrew’ is it. By uniting those within the industry and beyond, Justify is building a future where science thrives without suffering.

Madeline Krasno is a former primate lab worker turned fierce advocate for transparency and compassion in science. Featured in The Washington Post for her groundbreaking free speech lawsuits against the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the National Institutes of Health, Krasno brought critical attention to the ethics of animal research. As the Executive Director of Justify, a pioneering nonprofit, she champions a vision of advancing science without human or animal suffering by creating a safe space for current and former lab workers to share their stories and drive meaningful change. Madeline holds a master’s degree in Humane Education from Valparaiso University and bachelor’s degrees in Zoology and Child Development from UW-Madison.

The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Johns Hopkins University or Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.