The Center for
Alternatives to Animal Testing has received a $1.5
million five-year grant from an anonymous donor to develop
a new program in public policy, education and outreach.
This program is aimed at educating policy-makers and
legislators about the need for alternatives to the use of
animals in toxicity and safety testing and in biomedical
research.
CAAT, an academic center housed within the Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, will work
with partners in the animal welfare, environmental health
and scientific communities to foster a policy and
legislative culture that values the lives of animals and
promotes the most humane science possible.
The effort will be directed by Paul Locke, an
associate professor in Environmental Health Sciences. Locke
is a public health scientist and attorney with an extensive
background in science policy research and analysis.
"During the past two decades, changes in science and
public expectations have led us to rethink the ways in
which we approach research and testing," said Alan M.
Goldberg, professor of toxicology at the Bloomberg School
and director of CAAT. "As science evolves, alternative
nonanimal methods are moving to the front of the line as
the chosen tools for toxicologists. It is imperative the
policy-makers understand these exciting developments."
CAAT follows a philosophy known as the 3Rs of
alternatives — replacement, reduction and refinement.
This means finding new ways to replace animals with
nonanimal methods, reduce the numbers of animals necessary
and refine methods to minimize pain or distress for the
animals involved.
Michael J. Klag, dean of the School of Public Health,
said, "We are excited that CAAT continues to be at the
forefront of humane science and testing alternatives. This
new program extends its track record as a world leader in
humane scientific investigation."
GO TO