It was with the goal of sharing my personal views on the ethics of animal research that I recently published a manuscript on the topic. I also participated in two separate, public debates with animal rights philosophers Gary Francione and Nathan Nobis. Briefly, my position is based on the notion of graded moral status. I believe we owe moral consideration … Continue reading Speaking of Morality
Month: May 2012
Animal Research in the Public Eye
The claim often made by animal activists is that much about animal research is hidden from public view and that the animal research community makes little effort to share their work and their perspectives with the public. There are a number of facts that not only provide the basis for a strong argument against that … Continue reading Animal Research in the Public Eye
Animal Rights Hacktivists
A handful of activists (maybe less) have begun to use digital means to take direct actions against those who are involved in animal research. All the hacks below involved gaining control of the website and either defacing the front page, or taking down the entire website. This is likely the actions of one or two … Continue reading Animal Rights Hacktivists
Not Difficult To Grasp
Paralysis can have tremendous negative consequences for a person's quality of life. In the US alone, there are more than 200 thousand people living with chronic spinal cord injury, which is a cause of immense suffering to them and their families. The disease generates economic burden for society as well. Thus, there has been … Continue reading Not Difficult To Grasp
Frans de Waal’s Ethical Arguments Need Clarification
In a recent perspective, Professor Frans de Waal argues that chimpanzees deserve “special moral status.” The statement comes on the heels of a recent report by the Institute of Medicine who proposed strict criteria on the use of chimps on biomedical research. According to de Waal there are compelling ethical reasons to ban all invasive work on … Continue reading Frans de Waal’s Ethical Arguments Need Clarification
BrainFacts.org goes live!
The increased need and recognition for scientists to engage with public and policymakers on the importance and value of their work has been reflected by BrainFacts.org going live this week. This important public education initiative from The Kavli Foundation, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, and the Society for Neuroscience is an exciting development. Leading scientists from … Continue reading BrainFacts.org goes live!
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Lessons From Monkeys
The following guest post is from David Abbott, a scientist at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center and Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Professor Abbott recently spoke about the goals of his work and the use of monkeys in research in a public forum series hosted by … Continue reading Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Lessons From Monkeys
OHSU Rhesus macaque embryo research to improve Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis is used by parents to screen embryos produced through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in order to ensure that the baby will be free of specific genetic diseases. New research from Oregon Health and Science University on the inheritance of the mitochondrial genome indicates that screening for genetic mutations that are located in the … Continue reading OHSU Rhesus macaque embryo research to improve Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
Speaking of Research 