We’ve reached nearly 500 signatures on our Open Letter calling for greater openness in animal research in the U.S.! We will soon be making this letter public and we need your help to show that America’s scientific community stands firmly behind openness, transparency, and the importance of animal studies to medical progress.
Animal research plays a fundamental role in medical, veterinary and scientific progress. From the development of insulin and transplant surgery to modern day advances, including gene therapies and cancer treatments; animals – from mice to monkeys – continue to play a crucial role in both basic and applied research. Animal studies have been involved in 96 of the 108 Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine. And it’s not just humans that benefit – every veterinary treatment in existence has been made possible thanks to studies in animals.
However, such research can only continue with public support. Strict regulations and oversight reflect Americans’ desire for animals to be treated with care and respect. Furthermore, many studies – particularly those that help us understand basic biological systems – rely on public funding.
We, the undersigned members of America’s scientific community, call upon our country’s research institutions – large and small – to embrace openness. We should proudly explain how animals are used for the advancement of science and medicine, in the interest of the health and wellbeing of humans and animals.
The letter has garnered signatures from the scientific community all over the country…well, almost.
Many states have no representatives — we’re looking at you, Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, West Virginia, Mississippi, Alaska, and nearly all of New England (even Hawaii has signed on!)
Be the first to represent your state!
California is leading the pack, followed by Texas. How does your state measure up? If you haven’t yet signed onto the Openness Letter, do so now and represent!
http://tinyurl.com/OpennessLetter
Speaking of Research
Speaking of Research 
I am proud of my contribution to science and to the welfare of the animals in my care.