The American Brain Coalition (ABC) hosted an educational webinar titled Advancing Responsible Animal Research Advocacy. The meeting brought together scientists, policymakers, educators, and non-profit leaders to examine how organizations can work together to address and uplift scientific voices in policy decisions surrounding ethical animal research.
Laura Weidner, Chair of the ABC Advocacy Committee and Chief Advocacy and Government Relations Officer at the Epilepsy Foundation, where she leads national efforts to advance brain health policy and patient advocacy, moderated the conversation. The featured speaker, Naomi Charambakis, PhD, Director of Science Policy and Communications at Americans for Medical Progress (AMP), works to strengthen partnerships among other advocacy organizations to build a strong and unified voice for ethical animal research.
The discussion demonstrated that animal research is a complicated topic, facing increased scrutiny as public narratives, uninformed policy discussions, and emerging alternatives continue to evolve. According to Charambakis, scientific perspectives are not always fully represented in policy conversations, creating gaps between research realities and decisions. These gaps lead to misunderstandings about the roles, limitations, and current necessity of animal models in biomedical and behavioral research. At the same time, shifts in funding, regulation, and public pressure risk disrupting established research systems, including the loss of crucial disease models and delays in developing new therapies. These pressures may also push research overseas to regions with different regulatory standards, highlighting the need for more consistent and informed engagement between scientists and policymakers to keep ethical animal testing a forefront of American cure advancement.
The coalition People for Effective and Ethical Research (PEER) brings together individuals and organizations dedicated to improving health outcomes grounded in ethical and transparent biomedical research. PEER provides scientific perspectives — particularly within legislative and regulatory spaces — an essential bridge between scientific research, funding priorities, and informed decision making. The organization actively engages in legislative developments, coordinated advocacy efforts, and federal agency relationship building to ensure they have an equal seat at the table amongst animal rights groups. Sustained and coordinated advocacy is needed to ensure policies are shaped with scientific context, ethical standards remain high, and innovation continues to advance responsibly. By fostering collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and advocacy organizations, groups like PEER aim to secure a more balanced and informed dialogue.
