Experts Call on NIH to Prioritize Human-Centered Research

On November 18, a coalition of 338 physicians, scientists, and advocates partnered with the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to urge the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to adopt a human-centered approach in its upcoming NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for 2026-2030. Their letter, addressed to NIH Director Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, emphasized the need to shift research priorities toward methods that directly benefit patients and reduce reliance on animal testing.

Federal law requires the NIH to regularly update its strategic plan to guide biomedical research, foster collaboration, and drive advancements in health science. The coalition outlined specific recommendations, including increased funding and representation for human-specific research, inclusion of experts in human-based approaches on planning committees, and greater transparency in tracking the use of animal and human models in funded projects.

The letter also commended the NIH for its recent steps toward embracing alternatives to animal testing. Earlier in 2024, Dr. Bertagnolli accepted an advisory group’s recommendations to expand the use of innovative methods such as tissue chips and computational models. These technologies, which simulate human biology using cells, tissue, and data, offer more precise insights into human health and disease while reducing costs and timelines for research.

Signatories highlighted the transformative potential of these approaches, citing a report from the Advisory Committee to the Director Novel Alternative Methods working group: “human-specific methods ‘offer tremendous promise for helping us better understand fundamental biology to advance human health.”

Catharine E. Krebs, PhD, medical research program manager at the Physicians Committee, underscored the importance of this transition. “The NIH is making great strides in moving away from animal experiments toward human-centered methods that better model human biology and disease,” she said. She added that the upcoming strategic plan is a pivotal chance to formalize this progress and drive continued innovation in medical research.

Please sign this petition to Help Send Escaped Lab Monkeys to a Sanctuary!

Related Content:

• Five Major Companies End Support for Animal Testing at Food Research Institute
• Changing Views on Animal Testing in America
• Animal Testing Company to Pay $35 Million in Historic Resolution After Rescue of 4,000 Beagles
• The Story of a Woman Who Turned an Animal Testing Lab into a Rehab Sanctuary
• FDA Modernization Act 3.0 Introduced to Reform Animal Testing

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!