Our Work
The scientists in the PETA Science Advancement & Outreach (SAO) division have considerable expertise in the limitations of the animal experimentation paradigm and cutting-edge strategies in biomedical research and training as well as long-standing relationships with academic leaders, students groups, and other stakeholders. SAO collaborates with a diverse scientific team. Its expertise includes neuroscience, physiology, genetics, toxicology, primatology, animal welfare, and public health.
PETA’s Research Modernization Deal
PETA has a large, diverse team of scientists who are making progress for humans and other animals by getting animals out of laboratories, promoting the implementation of humane training opportunities that are superior to using animals, and encouraging the use of animal-free methods. To that end, PETA scientists have developed the Research Modernization Deal, a bold plan to cut through the waste and inefficiency of experiments on animals and focus on humane, human-relevant research methods. Learn more about PETA’s vital work in these areas and read the group’s groundbreaking proposal to revolutionize scientific research.
Scientific Journals Outreach
SAO works with journal editors and publishing companies to improve accuracy in the reporting of experiments on animals in scientific journals and to deter publication of some of the worst experiments on animals.
This includes working with scientific publishers to ensure additional editorial scrutiny of particularly harmful procedures on animals and discouraging journals from publishing manuscripts that rely on experiments on animals that have been proved ineffective, like the forced swim test.
We also encourage publishers to be more stringent about ensuring that the procedural descriptions of experiments on animals are accurate and that authors are transparent about the limited translatability of most experiments on animals.
Recently—after hearing from SAO experts—the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology and PLOS Biology agreed to update their instructions to authors and require that organismal or species information be included in the abstracts of all articles they publish.
University Outreach
The SAO division informs young scientists about the ethical and scientific limitations of experiments on animals and the opportunities presented by the use of more humane methods in biomedical research through on-campus and virtual lectures, discussions, and webinars.
Experts Network
In order to effect change within the biomedical research community, we meet with scientists and pharmaceutical companies, present at scientific conferences, participate in workshops and roundtables, and publish critiques of animal use in specific areas of research.