SAO x WC12
Written by Dr. Katherine Roe and Kati Bertrand
Update (September 2023)
We had a fantastic time at the 12th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences in Niagara Falls, Canada. We presented our work on the use of primates in neuroscience and discussed how the biomedical industry is pushing long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques to the brink of extinction, how laboratory conditions compromise data from experiments on monkeys, and the bias in grant funding. It was nice to catch up with so many folks we’ve only seen on screens for the past three years. See you all next time!
August 2023
Later this month, PETA’s Science Advancement & Outreach (SAO) division and some of our colleagues will be taking over Canada. Well, we’ll have a notable presence at the 12th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences in Niagara Falls, Canada, that is! PETA scientists will co-chair eight sessions, give ten oral presentations, and present six posters at the international event. PETA’s international science team will lead discussions on laboratory animal welfare, necessary policy and oversight reforms, exciting new non-animal research methods, and ways to accelerate the transition away from tests and experiments that use animals.
Mark these events on your conference program!
SAO
Monday, August 28, at 12:30 p.m.—The Effects of Individual Housing on Nonhuman Primates: A Review (poster). SAO’s Kati Bertrand, M.S., will present her review of the published literature documenting the physiological and behavioral effects of individual housing of nonhuman primates.
Wednesday, August 30, at 11 a.m.—Show Me the Animal Data! Animal Methods Bias in Publishing and Funding (oral). SAO’s Emily Trunnell, Ph.D., will co-chair this symposium and speak on her work to assess animal methods bias in NIH funding review committees.
Wednesday, August 30, at 2 p.m.—Monkeys on the Edge: Ethical Research With Nonhuman Primates (oral). SAO’s Katherine Roe, Ph.D., will present a cost versus benefits analysis of the justifications for using nonhuman primates in neuroscience research. PETA primatologist Lisa Jones-Engel, Ph.D., will co-chair this session and speak.
PETA U.S. Laboratory Investigations Department
Tuesday, August 29, at 2:30 p.m.—Fractured Oversight of U.S. Labs: Where’s the Accountability? by Alka Chandna, Ph.D. (This poster, presented by SAO’s Katherine Roe, Ph.D., will present data describing patterns of animal welfare violations in U.S. laboratories.)
Wednesday, August 30, at 2 p.m.—Monkeys on the Edge: Ethical Research With Nonhuman Primates. This session will be co-chaired by Lisa Jones-Engel, who will speak about the impact that biomedical research and its trade has on populations of wild macaques.
PETA U.S. Regulatory Toxicology Department and PETA International Entities
Chaired sessions, some with talks
Monday, August 28, at 11 a.m.—Replacement at the Forefront: Implementing Animal-Free Science Education. Co-chaired by Janneke Hogervorst, Ph.D., with a talk on “Keeping Toxicology Education Relevant in the 21st Century” by Gina Hilton, Ph.D.
Tuesday, August 29, at 2 p.m.—Role of Roadmaps to Accelerate the Transition to Animal-Free Science. Co-chaired by Kimberely Jayne, Ph.D., who will also give a talk on PETA U.K.’s Research Modernisation Deal.
Tuesday, August 29, at 11 a.m.—Advances in NAMS for EcoTox Testing & Risk Assessment, Part 1: Biological Models and Techniques. In this session co-chaired by Gina Hilton, Ph.D., Christopher Fassbender, Ph.D., will speak about “Reducing the Number of Controls in Fish Early-Life State Toxicity Tests When Solvents Are Required.”
Wednesday, August 30, at 9 a.m.—Unlocking a New NAM-Based Paradigm: Transforming the Evaluation of Agrochemicals. Gina Hilton, Ph.D., will co-chair this session and speak about a next-generation framework for agrochemical risk assessment.
Wednesday, August 30, at 9 a.m.—New Approaches to Genotoxicity Testing and Risk Assessment. This session will be co-chaired by Gilly Stoddart, Ph.D.
Wednesday, August 30, at 2 p.m.—Is It Good Enough? Establishing Scientific Confidence in New Approach Methods. This session will be co-chaired by Anna van der Zalm.
Additional Oral Presentations
Monday, August 28, at 11 a.m.—Reagent Responsibility: IACUC Assessment of Research Tools by Katherine Groff, M.S.
Tuesday, August 29, at 2 p.m.—Human Cell-Based In Vitro Systems to Assess Respiratory Toxicity of Liquid and Aerosolized Surfactants by Andreas O. Stucki, Ph.D.
Wednesday, August 30, at 9 a.m.—History in the Making: the European Citizens’ Initiative to End Animal Testing by Julia Baines, Ph.D.
Posters
Mapping a New Paradigm for Agrochemical Carcinogenicity Assessment by Gina Hilton, Ph.D.
Defined Approaches for EPA Categorization Assessing Eye Irritation Potential of Agrochemical Formulations by Anna van der Zalm, M.S., and Amy Clippinger, Ph.D.
Guidance for Reviewing Projects Involving Use of the Forced Swim Test by Kimberley Jayne, Ph.D.
Developing Quantitative Metrics for Accountability in Strategic Roadmaps by Katherine Groff, M.S.