Monthly Archives: April 2009

Scientists dare to defend research

Posted on April 19, 2009 by | 86 Comments

Important: Thank you for the overwhelming support we’ve had. However please go and sign The Pro-Test Petition. It’s a much bigger petition that aims to show the support for biomedical research among scientists and non-scientists alike.

Added Note: We now have 100 signatories!!

As students and scientists at UCLA stand up to support lifesaving medical research, researchers at other institutions are offering their support for the cause. From Wake Forest University to the University of Arizona, from UC Davis to the University of South Dakota, researchers from across the United States have been united in their support for UCLA Pro-Test.

We offer our support and solidarity with our fellow scientists at UCLA and around the nation in speaking out for the essential need for animal research. We are proud of the role that scientists and other members of research teams play in working to advance knowledge that contributes to improvements in animal and human health.  We call upon all individuals who support research to join in speaking out.

We condemn the terrorist actions of groups that want only to end animal research. We ask all those who care about animal welfare to condemn and withdraw their support from the few who are leading campaigns of violent threats and violent acts designed to terrorize scientists.

Allyson J. Bennett, Ph.D.
Peter J. Pierre, Ph.D.
David J. Lyons, Ph.D.
Brian McCool, Ph.D.
David P. Friedman, Ph.D.
Cynthia J. Lees, Ph.D.
John P. Capitanio, Ph.D.
Jay V. Solnick, M.D., Ph.D.
Alan R. Buckpitt, Ph.D.
Jonathon C. Horton, M.D., Ph.D.
Charles G. Plopper, Ph.D.
Irwin S. Bernstein, Ph.D.
Susan E. Appt, D.V.M.
Jay R. Kaplan, Ph.D.
Mari S. Golub, Ph.D.
Nicole Baumgarth, D.V.M., Ph.D
Reen Wu, PhD
Suzette D. Tardif, Ph.D.
Murray B. Gardner, M.D.
Carol A. Shively, Ph.D.
Scott I. Simon, Ph.D.
Jeffrey D. Schall, Ph.D.
Anna W. Roe, Ph.D.
David Godlove
Vivien A. Casagrande, Ph.D.
Kristina Abel, PhD
Maria L. Boccia, Ph.D.
Corinna N. Ross, Ph.D.
Marina Picciotto, Ph.D.
James D. Higley, Ph.D.
Alexander D. Borowsky, M.D.
Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.
C.A. Barnes, Ph.D.
Barbara E. Goodman, Ph.D.

Do you agree with the above statements? Add a comment to this post with your name (and preferably degree), with a note as to whether we can add your institution, and we’ll add you to the list.

Go on, do your bit for research today!

Cheers

Tom

Addenum:

The following have asked for their names to be added to the list (on comments or by email)

Nicholas J. Anthis
Richard P. Heitz, PhD, Vanderbilt University
Anna M. van Heeckeren, DVM, MS
Harry Rozmiarek, DVM, PhD
Deanna L. Dodson, Ph.D
DeWayne Townsend DVM, Ph.D
Philip Starr MD,PHD, UCSF
Beverly Barton, PhD, New Jersey Medical School
P Michael Conn, Ph.D., OHSU
Louis S. Harris, Ph.D.
James Cox, BS, MLAS, RLATG
Anna Garr, B.S.
Guy Mittleman, Ph.D.
Matthew Nelson, Vanderbilt University
Barry Bradford, PhD
Cynthia S. Gillett, DVM, ACLAM
Arnold L. Goldman DVM, MS
Charles D. Blaha, Ph.D.
Jim Steel,
Trenton R. Schoeb, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVP
John D Young VMD MS, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, LA
Lee-Yuan Liu-Chen, Ph.D.,
Dr. Jennifer Kalishman
Ellen Unterwald, Ph.D.
Gerald Zernig, M.D., psychotherapist,
Theodore J Price, PhD
Michael A Taffe, Ph.D.,
John Slattery
Charlotte L. Shupert, PhD
Gillian Braden-Weiss, MLAS
Nicholas C. Spitzer, Ph.D.
Dennis Miller, Ph.D.
Kathy Wadsworth, UCLA
Robert D. Skinner, PhD,
David Jentsch, PhD, UCLA
Dario Ringach, PhD
Judith A. Badner, M.D., Ph.D, University of Chicago
Abraham Palmer, Ph.D
Chunyu Liu, Ph.D
Camron D. Bryant, Ph.D., University of Chicago
Emily Barkley-Levenson, M.A., UCLA
Fred Sabb, Ph.D., UCLA
Moriel Zelikowsky, M.A. UCLA
Sarah Sterlace, M.A. UCLA
Melissa Flesher, M.A., UCLA
Rick Laughlin, M.A., UCLA
Andrew Poulos, Ph.D. UCLA
Theresa Cunningham, MS,
Megan Wyeth, BS
Michele Bailey
Laura J. Frishman
David T. Blake, PhD, Medical College of Georgia
Christos Constantinidis, Ph.D.
Andrea Knipe RVT
Suzanne Ford VT, LATG
Jeff Weiner, Ph.D.,
James Cortright, Ph.D., University of Chicago
Juli Farnsworth
Richard W. Foltin, Ph.D.
Paul Vezina
Alison P Grand, Ph.D., Wake Forest University
Michael Ballard, B.S, University of Chicago
Lynn M. Rose, PhD, President, Northwest Association for Biomedical Research
Alex James, MA, UCLA
Jason Woods, BS, UCLA
Emanuele Seu, Ph.D., UCLA
Patricia A. Leake, Ph.D, UCSF
Visa Marong, NWABR
James DiCarlo, MD, PhD
Bethany Brookshire, BS, Wake Forest University
Ethan Allen, Ph.D.
Michael J. Mana, PhD
Gerald Casey
Nancy Biery, PhD
Hillarie Plessner Windish, PhD
Malia Fullerton
Nicole McFarland
Robert W. Scanlon, MBA, Executive Director, Humphreys Diabetes Center
Dr. Earl Riddle
Jean E. Feagin, PhD
Cynthia Pekow, DVM, DACLAM
Li-Na Wei
Robert E Shade, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research
Kari Koszdin, DVM
Rachel Heffner
Sheila Lukehart, PhD
Jamie Smelser Gothro, RVT, LATG, CMAR, CPIA
Dina Kovarik, Ph.D, NWABR
Adrian R. Morrison
Robert C Dysko, DVM, University of Michigan
Carolyn Hanson, OTR, PhD
Donita Robinson, PhD, UNC
Todd Pinkerman
James L. Gale MD MS
ackie Shaffer, AAS, LATG,LVT

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UCLA Pro-Test – Coverage Review Day 18

Posted on April 16, 2009 by | 2 Comments

420_pro-test-ucla-banner-with-dataIt’s been over a week since our last coverage update and there’s been more news sources covering the upcoming rally.

To kick off, the highly respected Nature journal included an interview (subscription needed) with David Jentsch, founder of UCLA Pro-Test. He offered an insight into his own research before mentioning more about the upcoming rally:

What sort of research do you do?

I study the neuroscience of mental disorders, with a basic scientific lab approach. Schizophrenia is a major study area. We study how genes in normal animals influence brain function. And we study how potential treatments work. Every project I do in an animal is connected with a human clinical question.

How do you use those animals?

I use rodent and vervet monkey models. We do a lot of work relating genetics to brain function, such as memory and attention. We use invasive procedures or infusions of pharmaceutical drugs. We also use genetic mutation knockouts in rodents. In monkeys, we study genetics and naturally occurring functions. We primarily use non-invasive procedures on monkeys — about 90% are behaviour and genetics studies.

In a world where 1 in a 100 people are affected by schitzophrenia during their lifetime, this kind of research is crucial. Drug Monkey’s blog (the second time he has blogged about the event – see the first) reflected on the Nature interview, concluding with:

If you are within handy driving distance and can spare the time, please attend. If you are not near UCLA but are on Facebook please consider joining the UCLA Pro-Test Facebook group. One of the primary goals of Pro-Test is to make the supporters of animal research more visible so as to counter the numerically much smaller but more publicly vocal ARA terrorists and supporters. Increasing the membership on Facebook will help with this goal.

Remember to join the Speaking of Research group as well.

Another major news story came from the LA Times, who produced a comprehensive piece on Jentsch’s motives, including mention of Speaking of Research and its founder, Tom Holder. In it Jentsch explains why it is so important for scientists to stand up, and stand up together if they are to overcome to problems of animal rights extremism:

After similar incidents, other UCLA scientists have become almost reclusive as security and public curiosity around them grew. Three years ago, another UCLA neuroscientist, weary of harassment and threats to his family, abandoned animal research altogether, sending an e-mail to an animal rights website that read: “You win.”

“People always say: ‘Don’t respond. If you respond, that will give [the attackers] credibility,’ ” Jentsch, 37, said in a recent interview in his UCLA office. “But being silent wasn’t making us feel safer. And it’s a moot point if they are coming to burn your car anyway, whether you give them credibility or not.”

“By refusing to be intimidated by extremists who torch cars, threaten violence and harass families, UCLA faculty, staff and students involved in the Pro-Test movement are demonstrating not only their courage but also their commitment to public service,” he [UCLA Chancellor Gene Block] said in a statement.

Nick Anthis, of Scientific Activist blog, put his perspective on the article saying:

Jentsch is right. The lesson of Pro-Test Oxford was that silence only encourages the extremists, and scientists have to stand up for their work in order for any real change to occur.

It’s not just the print and web news sources which are covering the UCLA rally – now the radios are fighting for interviews with David Jentsch, three who succeeded are KABC 790 radio (The Al Rantel Show), 89.3 KPCC (requires real player) and KFI-640AM radio:

David Jentsch: The rally has two functions. To have a repudiation of what’s been going on so far, sort of people getting together and just finding strength in numbers and trying to overcome the intimidation that people are trying to impose on us …

It is great to see this continued coverage. If you have seen information about the rally from anywhere else then please leave a comment on this post.

Regards

Tom

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Tom Holder, SR Founder, heads to UCLA

Posted on April 14, 2009 by | Leave a comment

420_pro-test-ucla-banner-with-data

Tom Holder, founder of Speaking of Research and member of the original UK Pro-Test group, will arrive in Los Angeles (jet lagged) on Friday April 17th. After a good nights sleep and several cups of tea he will be on hand to help UCLA Pro-Test in their activities from Saturday April 18th onwards. Holder will emcee the UCLA Pro-Test rally on April 22nd 2009.

Tom Holder, Speaking of Research founder

Tom Holder, Speaking of Research founder

Through discussion and debate we can allow the public to learn about the important value of biomedical research. As such, Tom will also be available to get involved with debates on campus or in the media. Holder will also be around the UCLA campus advertising the march from Saturday onwards – feel free to talk to him – he looks like this (see right – but now with shorter hair) and is very friendly. He will probably be wearing that T-shirt.

If you are interested in getting Tom involved in any campus events please contact him on by email or alternatively phone him on 310-994-8103 (until 24th April)

In other news, the LA Times covered news of the upcoming UCLA Pro-Test, see an extract below:

The new UCLA organization is named UCLA Pro-Test, in honor of the British group. Its message, Jentsch said, is that ending animal research “would be devastating, absolutely devastating, in the loss of knowledge and its practical applications to human health.”

Holder, who now heads a similar U.S.-based organization called Speaking of Research, praised Jentsch’s efforts. “I think it is fantastic that scientists are finally finding their voice and standing up against animal rights extremists,” he said in a telephone interview from England.

Keep checking back on the website for the latest news on the rally as it unfolds.

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What do you want to see on this website?

Posted on April 10, 2009 by | 5 Comments

Want more statistics? Perhaps video clips of animals in labs, we’re looking to expand and we’re looking for you to tell us how!

With the rush of traffic that the announcement of the UCLA Pro-Test group has brought to this website we think its time for us to put more information up.

Are there pages which you think need updating? Are there particular news blog items you like? (perhaps you would like more news items asking you which new items you most enjoy!) Do you want more threads on animal rights activism, or more on the recent benefits of animal research? It’s up to you?

Please leave a comment reply to this thread with your suggestions.

Cheers

Tom

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Why UCLA Pro-Test must reject the requests of extremists

Posted on April 7, 2009 by | 74 Comments

The violent animal rights extremist organization the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) recently released a communique challenging UCLA Pro-Test to a radio debate. Just two working days later and ALF spokesman Jerry Vlasak decided that UCLA Pro-Test had given in and released this statement:

I relish the opportunity to debate not only the lack of scientific merit to animal experimentation, but I am also looking forward to explaining and defending the tactics used to stop animal abusers at UCLA. After years of polite offers to debate and negotiate, UCLA’s obstinacy has forced activists to pursue more effective means of halting animal experimentation.

“Explaining and defending the tactics…” Let’s for a moment just make sure we’re on the same page about Jerry Vlasak. What exactly are these tactics that Vlasak tends to expoud? At the 2003 Animal Rights Conference he told attendees:

If vivisectors were routinely being killed, I think it would give other vivisectors pause in what they were doing in their work — and if these vivisectors were being targeted for assassination … — and I wouldn’t pick some guy way down the totem pole, but if there were prominent vivisectors being assassinated, I think that there would be a trickle-down effect and many, many people who are lower on that totem pole would say, “I’m not going to get into this business because it’s a very dangerous business …”

And I don’t think you’d have to kill — assassinate — too many vivisectors before you would see a marked decrease in the amount of vivisection going on.

And I — you know — people get all excited about, “Oh what’s going to happen when the ALF accidentally kills somebody in an arson?” Well, you know I mean, I think we need to get used to this idea. It’s going to happen, okay? It’s going to happen. [emphasis added]

So Jerry, if this is your line in 2003 where were all those “years of polite offers to debate and negotiate“? Forget not condemning violence, this guy is out and out condoning it. There are also some worrying parallels between certain statements made recently, and those from 2003:

2009: UCLA’s obstinacy has forced activists to pursue more effective means of halting animal experimentation
2003: I don’t think you’d have to kill — assassinate — too many vivisectors before you would see a marked decrease in the amount of vivisection going on

Anyone else worry about some of these “effective means” might someday entail unless we stand up against animal rights extremism. Honestly can you blame scientists for not wanting to be in the same room as Vlasak? If he wishes to be taken seriously by the research community, and have his say publicly, then he must first renounce violence. Then, and only then, will he find researchers ready to talk.

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UCLA Pro-Test – Coverage Review Day 6

Posted on April 4, 2009 by | 1 Comment

420_pro-test-ucla-banner-with-dataThe UCLA Pro-Test Rally to be held on April 22nd has been generating a lot of media interest so far. In the sixth day of the movement’s life here are some excerpts of the many blogs which are rallying round the UCLA Pro-Test movement.

To kick off, the blog for Science Journal offered the details of the rally, as well as mentioning Speaking of Research founder Tom Holder:

Jentsch has founded a chapter of Pro-Test, a group that started in Oxford, U.K., and gained media attention and public support for animal testing. Jentsch is organizing a pro-research rally at UCLA to take place on 22 April … Several speakers will talk about the value of biomedical research, including Tom Holder, a former Oxford philosophy student and pro-research activist.

Next up, the Respectful Insolence blog gets to the heart of some of the anger felt by researcher:

I don’t know about you, but as a surgeon and a biomedical researcher, I’m fed up with animal rights terrorists who threaten biomedical research with their misinformation about animal research, their terroristic attacks on scientists who engage in such research, and listening to the despicable self-righteous idiot who is a disgrace to surgeons everywhere, Dr. Jerry Vlasak, spouting off about how assassinating researchers who use animals as part of their research would be justified.

UCLA Today can be congratulated in making the clear link between animal research and medical benefits in their post on the rally:

Research involving laboratory animals has enhanced our understanding of how the human body functions and has led to the development of lifesaving procedures and medicines, including radiation therapy and other cancer treatments, vaccines, open-heart surgery, mental health treatments and organ transplantation. There is overwhelming agreement among physicians and scientists worldwide that most of the major medical discoveries in recent decades would not have been possible without the use of laboratory animals.

The Drug Monkey blog offered an important reason to join the UCLA Pro-Test Facebook group (and join the Speaking of Research group while you’re at it):

There is a Facebook group, in case you want to keep up with the goings-on. More importantly, adding yourself to the Member list will be an important contribution to one of the underlying idea of Pro-Test, i.e., to show just how many people support animal research.

The Guadian, a national newspaper in the UK covered the launch in their blog saying:

[UCLA Pro-Test] will be demonstrating in defence of their research and are inviting others to give their support. The rally will mirror those held by Pro-Test, an organisation that arose in Oxford after activists targeted the university.

We’ll finish with Nick Anthis’ concluding points on his Scientific Activist blog posting on the rally:

It’s clear that we need to heed Pro-Test’s example and take our pro-research message to the streets in the US as well, giving a voice to the silent majority that opposes the actions of these fringe extremists. That’s why these UCLA scientists and their nascent Pro-Test chapter deserve our full support. So, if you’re in the LA area, plan on attending their April 22nd rally, and if you’re able to help out in any other way, please get in touch with them.

It’s great to see bloggers working together to promote the rally and the pro-science values it holds true. Keep it up!

Regards

Tom

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Speaking in Nature

Posted on April 2, 2009 by | 3 Comments

One of our own members, David Bienus, a animal care technician who recently wrote about his experiences of animal welfare in labs, has got his letter into the esteemed science journal Nature, a portion of which can be seen below:

nature-bienusIn your Editorial ‘Against vicious activism’ (Nature 457, 636; 2009), you call for scientists and the authorities to stand up for animal research in basic and applied science. However, you may be putting the cart before the horse in recommending that officials and politicians become advocates of animal research in order to encourage individual scientists to do so.

In the United Kingdom, it was the actions of individual scientists — and of members of the public who joined the Pro-Test demonstration in Oxford in February 2006 and signed the Coalition for Medical Progress’s petition — that gave politicians and other public figures the encouragement they needed to come out in support of animal research. The lesson to be learned from the UK experience is that scientists at the universities being targeted by extremists, alongside students and advocacy groups, must be encouraged to stand up and be counted. Only then can they expect others less directly involved to take an unequivocal public stand.

The truth, uncomfortable though it may be, is that — as with many controversial areas of science — those working with animals in research must make a public case to justify their use, and must be willing to show unequivocal support for colleagues who speak up. Do that, and the rest will follow.

David Bienus

David makes many good points including that scientists must stand up and make the case for themselves – but we all need to help them get the confidence to do it. The corresponding editorial piece also brought a nice mention to the UK organization Pro-Test (you can read more about Pro-Test on this site):

Britain again provides a good model in the form of Pro-Test, an activist group for those supporting animal research. Its efforts in Oxford have given a public face to supporters of animal testing.

Well it seems the wait is over, as our previous posts mention that students and scientists at UCLA are to march on April 22nd in support of lifesaving medical research and against those who would see it banned. More information on the UCLA Pro-Test page. On this note, the Respectful Insolence blog is the latest to be spreading news of the UCLA Pro-Test demonstration.

Regards

Tom

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UCLA Pro-Test – First Speakers Announced!

Posted on April 1, 2009 by | Leave a comment

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After the initial announcement, organization is underway to make the UCLA Pro-Test a success. The first thing I promised was the intitial speakers.

The bloggers are already rallying to the cause, with Drug Monkey, Scientific Activist and Pro-Test all blogging about the rally on April 22nd. Go onto the blogs are voice your support of the movement – help convince someone to join us today!

Up-to-date information can be found on this website as well as the UCLA Pro-Test website.

All requests to get involved should now be directed towards ucla_pro_test@yahoo.com (people who emailed contact@speakingofresearch.com have been passed along as appropriate).

Wednesday, 22nd April 2009, at 11:30 on the UCLA campus.

Cheers

Tom

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