The Daily has recently published articles addressing the NIH plan to phase out animal testing and an opinion piece criticizing the use of animals in research.
As veterinarians dedicated to protecting animal health and welfare, we urge the Northwestern community to recognize the critical role of animal research in advancing scientific and medical knowledge. We affirm Northwestern’s unwavering commitment to the highest standards of ethical animal use and veterinary care.
Animal models remain indispensable to biomedical research. Without animal studies, groundbreaking innovations at Northwestern — such as promising new drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, reversing paralysis after spinal cord injury and improved treatment regimens for Lyme disease — would not be possible.
We fully support efforts to refine, reduce and ultimately replace the use of animal models when possible. Non-animal models like cell culture, computer modeling and organoids are valuable tools and important adjuncts to animal studies, but they cannot fully replicate the complexity of a living organism essential to fields like neuroscience, cancer biology and immunology. Artificial Intelligence holds great potential to accelerate many aspects of research; however, AI relies on existing data, meaning its effectiveness is directly tied to the quality and validation of existing models. Non-animal methods must be scientifically validated. Otherwise, they could lead to disastrous consequences for patient safety.
Northwestern upholds and exceeds the highest standards of animal welfare and ethical research through the Center for Comparative Medicine, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and the dedicated faculty, staff, students and scholars who make up our research community.
Every animal study undergoes rigorous review and continuous oversight by a diverse committee of scientists, non-scientists, community representatives, biosafety specialists and veterinarians. Led by board-certified laboratory animal veterinarians and other animal care experts, CCM provides exemplary husbandry and veterinary care and technical research support, ensuring our animals benefit from the latest advancements in enrichment, nutrition, research techniques and clinical care.
We acknowledge the importance of continuously evaluating animal research methods, assessing regulatory oversight and seeking alternative approaches when scientifically feasible. We welcome constructive dialogue and collaboration with stakeholders and the broader Northwestern community to discuss these topics and to explore solutions that uphold the integrity of our research efforts while ensuring optimal welfare for our research animals.
Signed,
Rebecca Erickson
Lisa Forman
Stephen Levin
Emma Liechty
Alicia McLuckie
Nicole Pach
Nicolette Zielinski-Mozny
The authors listed above are veterinarians with the Center for Comparative Medicine, a core unit within the Office for Research dedicated to supporting humane animal care and use in research and education at Northwestern. They can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
