Effective Communication with the General Public about Scientific Research that Requires the Care and Use of Animals

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Involvement of animals in scientific research can elicit strong emotions and responses from some members of the public, in part because the information they receive is inadequate. There is therefore an urgent need for scientists who conduct research involving animals to communicate more effectively about their work. To identify strategies for effective communication, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop in December 19-20, 2023, entitled Effective Communication with the General Public About Scientific Research That Requires the Care and Use of Animals. The workshop focused on enhancing public understanding of scientific research with animals, how research animals are cared for and treated, the ethical considerations that are involved in these activities, and how research with animals has contributed to improvements in animal and human health. Participants explored characteristics of effective communication, ways to integrate information from scientists into media for diverse public audiences, and opportunities to address challenges in understanding research with animals.

Publication information

44 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71793-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71794-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27737

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Effective Communication with the General Public About Scientific Research That Requires the Care and Use of Animals: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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Alice H. Huang

Alice Huang most recently served for 17 years as the Deputy for IACUC (Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee) Guidance at the Veterans Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In that role, she was responsible for integrating VA policy regarding research with animals with other VA requirements and the requirements of the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare at the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and AAALAC International. She then communicated guidance about implementing those integrated policies to the 70+ VA programs of research with animals. She also served as a primary contact for addressing the concerns of the public about VA research with animals. Huang received an Sc.B. degree in biophysics from Brown University and a Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics from the University of Washington. She then did research in cardiovascular physiology at the University of Freiburg, Germany, at Georgetown University, and at Emory University, and taught the Medical Physiology course at the Morehouse School of Medicine for 10 years, leading initiatives to improve the communication of key concepts to the students.

Paula A. Clifford

Paula Clifford is the executive director of Americans for Medical Progress (AMP), a non-profit organization that informs and educates the public about the important role of animal research in advancing medicine and science. AMP also provides programs and services to support the biomedical research community. Before joining AMP, Clifford worked for the Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical Research (PSBR) where she led efforts to provide educational programs about biomedical research for K-12 students. Her past professional roles include Co-founder and Vice President of Operations for Animal Care Training Services (ACTS) and Veterinary Technician and then Training Manager for the University Animal Resources Department at the University of Pennsylvania. She has received several awards from national and local branches of the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International to recognize her accomplishments in training and education. Clifford received an Associate of Applied Science in veterinary technology degree from Camden County College, a B.A. from Rutgers University, and an M.A. the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Pennsylvania Licensed Veterinary Technician (CVT) and is certified by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) as a Registered Laboratory Animal Technologist (RLATG).

Candace C. Croney

Candace Croney is Associate Vice-Provost for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, Director of the Center for Animal Welfare Science, and Professor of Animal Behavior and Well-being at Purdue University. Before joining Purdue, she was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Maryland, College Park, served as Assistant Director of Conservation Education at the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, and held faculty appointments in Animal Behavior and Bioethics in the Animal Sciences Department at Oregon State University and in Preventive Medicine at The Ohio State University. Croney’s expertise and research focuses are developing and applying non-invasive metrics of welfare in agricultural and companion animals; understanding effects of rearing environments and management on animal behavior, health, and welfare; bioethical considerations in animal care and use; public perceptions of animal agriculture and welfare; bioethics-science interfaces in animal welfare policy, practice, and public communications. She is a Purdue University Faculty Scholar and the 2023 recipient of the American Veterinary Medical Association Humane Award. She is a member of the International Society for Applied Ethology and the American Society of Animal Science. Croney received a B.S. in animal science from Rutgers University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in animal science from Pennsylvania State University.

Alissa M. Hatfield

Alissa Hatfield is the Manager of Science Policy at the American Physiological Society where she works on science policy topics relating to animal research. In this role, she follows legislative issues related to animal research and participates in Congressional education on these topics. She also organizes the American Physiological Society’s responses to agency Requests for Information on issues pertaining to animal research. Prior to a career in science policy, Hatfield studied the effects of hormonal contraceptives on basic immune function while studying laboratory animal science at Stanford University. Hatfield received a B.S in physiology from University of Arizona and an M.S in laboratory animal science from Stanford University.

Jeffrey Henegar

Jeff Henegar is currently Director of the Office of Animal Resources and the Animal Care Quality Assurance Office at the University of Missouri. Prior to his current position, he was Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center doing cardiovascular research. After 25 years of research, using many animal models including mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, and pigs, he moved to oversee animal welfare and compliance of animal use in research and teaching. He has been involved with Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) for nearly 20 years as a member and chair and was a member and then chair of the Animal Care and Experimentation Committee for the American Physiological Society (APS). These roles contributed to his understanding of public perceptions of research involving animals. Henegar received an M.A in biology-olfaction and a Ph.D. in physiology from University of Missouri.

Crystal H. Johnson

Crystal Johnson is the Director and Attending Veterinarian of the Division of Comparative Medicine at Georgetown University. Prior to this position, she was the Associate Director of the Center for Comparative Medicine and Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Johnson serves on several committees within the Georgetown University Institution as well as being a leader within the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) and the Association of Primate Veterinarians (APV), where she currently serves as the Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for APV. Her interest and passion support creating an environment within biomedical research that advocates for animal and human welfare while embodying a diverse and inclusive culture at the forefront of research discoveries that are rigorous and reproducible with sustained enrichment for all. Johnson received a DVM from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine and then pursued a career in public health by attending the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Laboratory Animal Medicine Training Program. She also received an MPH from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and is a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.

Joseph T. Newsome

Joseph T. Newsome is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Associate Director – Division of Laboratory Animal Resources at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also the Director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center. His current focus and expertise are in management, biosecurity, biocontainment, facility design and operations, and cancer modeling, immunology, and virology. He is involved in national and industry level organizations such as the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, the Association of Primate Veterinarians, the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science, and the American Veterinary Medical Association. Newsome received a B.Sc. in microbiology, an M.S. in pathobiology, and a DVM from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.

Yuko Sato

Yuko Sato is an Associate Professor at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Serves as the university’s Poultry Extension Veterinarian and Diagnostic Pathologist. Her extension programs focus on poultry infectious disease diagnosis, prevention, and investigation, and her research includes topics of poultry diseases such as avian influenza, diagnostic assay development and validation, and case studies on infectious poultry diseases. Sato currently chairs the outreach committee of the American Association of Avian Pathologists and the committee on poultry in the United States American Health Association and serves on numerous advisory boards such as the United Egg Producers Scientific Committee for Animal Welfare and the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) Consultation Board. Sato received her DVM and Master’s in poultry diagnostics from Purdue University. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians.

Sally Thompson-Iritani

Sally Thompson-Iritani is the Assistant Vice Provost for Animal Care, Outreach and the 3Rs at the University of Washington (UW). She has experience in both industry and academia as a laboratory animal veterinarian, IACUC administrator, facility manager and preclinical researcher. She has received certification as an IACUC Administrator (PRIM&R), Compassion Fatigue Professional (IATP), Compassion Fatigue Educator (GreenCross) and Human Animal Bond Practitioner (AVMA). She is the executive sponsor for the UW Dare to Care (D2C) program which provides support and Compassion Resiliency resources for personnel that care and work with research animals and serves as a mentor for the UW One Health Program OHHAI (Occupational Health at the Human-Animal Interface) that trains physicians on the role of One Health in our society. Other areas of emphasis are development of novel ways to support animal welfare and decrease regulatory burden by standardization of procedures (Compliance Unit Standard Procedure (CUSP) partnered with the Federal Demonstration Partnership), and utilization of Positive Reinforcement Training (PRT) to minimize stress when working with research animals. She is involved nationally with the 3Rs Collaborative (3RsC), the US Openness Initiative (USARO), and the Scientists Center for Animal Welfare, and locally serves as the treasurer for the Feral Cat Spay and Neuter Project and the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association. Thompson-Iritani received a DVM from Iowa State University and Ph.D from University of Washington.

Nia D. Johnson

Nia Johnson recently joined the Division of Earth and Life Studies as a Program Officer in the Board on Life Sciences. She currently oversees the Roundtable on Science and Welfare in Laboratory Animal Use and is supporting the Engaging a Trusted Scientific Network in Southeast Asia to Counter Misleading Information about Biological Threats study. As the Roundtable responsible staff officer, she will also be overseeing the two upcoming Roundtable workshops, Effective Communication with the General Public about Scientific Research that Requires the Care and Use of Animals - A Workshop and the Contingency Planning and Training of Personnel Rule (APHIS-2020-0101), One Year of Implementation - A Workshop. Nia is a nineteen-year veteran of the National Academies and has spent much of her career at NAS in the Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences supporting the work of the Board on Army Science and Technology, the Board on Army Research and Development, and the Intelligence Community Studies Board. Nia’s portfolio of experience includes managing standing committees, workshops, colloquia and meetings of experts. Nia holds an M.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Morgan State University.

Margaret S. Landi

Margaret Landi has worked in the field of laboratory animal medicine and bioethics for four decades. Landi began her career as a staff veterinarian and eventually became Vice President (VP) for Global Laboratory Animal Science at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Pharmaceuticals before retiring. She was accountable for successful laboratory animal programs in eight countries and led over 400 people working across 10 animal facilities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Japan, Singapore, and China. In 2012, Landi became the inaugural VP of Animal Welfare, Ethics, Strategy and Risk, and Chief Veterinary Officer, governing all animal programs for GSK Pharmaceuticals. She has received a number of awards including the Harry C. Rowsell Award from the Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW), for actively demonstrating “commitment to good science and the humane treatment of animals”. She presently sits on Boards for the SCAW and the Chimp Haven sanctuary. Landi received a VMD and Master in bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.S. in comparative medicine from Pennsylvania State University, and is certified as a Diplomate in the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. She served on the Board for the Institute of Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR) and later Chaired the ILAR Council and also served on the Committee on the Use of Chimpanzees in Biomedical and Behavioral Research.

Workshop

Effective Communication with the General Public about Scientific Research that Requires the Care and Use of Animals Workshop

December 19 - 20, 2023

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Join us for an engaging workshop hosted by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, aimed at advancing the communication of scientific research involving animals. The Planning Committee will gather experts to share and explore tools and strategies that enhance public understanding of the scientific method, the care and use of animals, and the vital contributions of animal research to the health and well-being of both animals and humans.

Key topics of discussion include effective communication methods for scientists to engage with non-experts, using case examples to address misconceptions related to animal research. The workshop will also delve into systemic changes in the integration of scientific information by journalists, filmmakers, and others, leveraging diverse communication media and advanced technologies for various public audiences.

Participants will explore ways to assess the success of communication efforts, with specific focus on challenging aspects of animal research that are often misunderstood by the public. This includes the context, applications, and value of animal research activities, ethical and regulatory requirements for humane animal care and use, alternative methodologies, interpretation of results, and combating disinformation.

The workshop presentations and discussions will be meticulously documented in a workshop proceedings report, following National Academies guidelines. Don't miss this opportunity to contribute to advancing effective communication in animal research!

Contact

Nia D. Johnson

(202) 334-1857
ndjohnson@nas.edu

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It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

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Effective Communication with the General Public about Scientific Research that Requires the Care and Use of Animals - A Workshop

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