PETA Scientists to Spotlight Animal-Free Research at International Conference
Update (September 20, 2023): We enjoyed a productive 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, the bias in grant funding, and much more. See you all next time!
Originally published on August 24, 2023:
PETA scientists are slated to figure prominently at the 12th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, trumpeting the future of cutting-edge, animal-free science during numerous presentations at the five-day event, which kicks off on August 27 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
PETA scientists will chair eight sessions and deliver nine oral and six poster presentations at the World Congress, the premier conference on non-animal research and testing methods.
Attendees will hear about groundbreaking developments in non-animal research and testing methods firsthand from PETA scientists, who have expertise in toxicology, neuroscience, physiology, biophysics, and primatology. Such developments include modern approaches to assess chemicals for their potential to cause cancer or effects on the human lung, which have the capacity to protect human health and prevent animals from being forced to consume or inhale chemicals in experiments before being killed.
PETA scientists will also discuss pressing issues associated with the use of nonhuman primates in the animal experimentation industry, which has pushed two species of monkeys to the brink of extinction and threatened public health, as monkeys imported from overseas often carry deadly transmissible diseases.
Presentations will further delve into the effects of laboratory confinement on primate mental and physical health and whether the costs of invasive primate research outweigh potential benefits. Every year, thousands of sensitive and intelligent primates are imprisoned in laboratories, where they’re subjected to painful and deadly procedures for curiosity-based experiments or the development of pharmaceuticals. Yet 95% of drugs shown to be safe and effective in animals fail to predict safety and/or effectiveness in humans, and decades of experiments on primates have failed to produce viable vaccines for our species.
PETA scientists will also report on their international work championing the European citizens’ initiative to end animal testing, promoting a roadmap for implementing animal-free science and education, transitioning to non-animal methods for chemical safety tests, and ultimately phasing out all experiments on animals.
Other highlights will include PETA’s work to both expose the lack of oversight and accountability in U.S. animal laboratories and reduce bias toward the use of animals in research.
Support Animal-Free Science
PETA’s Research Modernization Deal offers a practical strategy for optimizing research to cure disease by pivoting toward animal-free methods that are relevant to humans. Please ask your legislators to support the Research Modernization Deal today.
