An interesting item in the news today about research on repairing the damage to the heart caused by a heart attack. The report in PNAS can be read by those with a subscription at: While there have been several attempts to bioengineer cardiac tissue for transplant in vitro using starting from cells seeded onto a scaffold, … Continue reading Mending a Broken Heart
Tag: animal research
Open Letter to Dr. Greek
This is a copy of a letter written to Dr. Greek long ago (July 2003) in response to his request for a written contribution from me. Everything I say in this letter is the honest truth of what I think now, as I did then, with regard to cognitive neuroscience in the non-human primate. At … Continue reading Open Letter to Dr. Greek
Animal Care Technicians
Many misconceptions exist about exactly how animal research is conducted in laboratories. Some of the misconceptions come from a lack of awareness whereas others come in the form of intentional misinformation on the part of animal rights groups. Successful research relies on the dedication of many individuals with a variety of roles, from primary investigators … Continue reading Animal Care Technicians
Federal Agencies rebut Michael Budkie’s misrepresentation of scientific research
On June 1st, Michael Budkie, Executive Director of Stop Animal Exploitation Now! (Warning: AR Website) (SAEN), issued a press release that was picked up by some media outlets, including United Press International (UPI) and USA Today. The press release read in part: The next industry meltdown may be in the nation’s research laboratories, an independent … Continue reading Federal Agencies rebut Michael Budkie’s misrepresentation of scientific research
The Limits of Computer Simulations
Following on from the last post about the limits of fMRI technology, we will now look further at the limits of another so called "alternative" - computer simulations. Animal rights groups also argue (Warning: AR website) that advanced computer simulations can replace the use of animals in our research. This position, again, reflects the poor … Continue reading The Limits of Computer Simulations
The limits of fMRI
Animal rights groups often argue (Warning: AR Website) that new imaging technologies, such as fMRI, provide an alternative to invasive brain research in animals, accusing those doing animal work of failing to adopt these modern methods. Such a position reflects a misunderstanding of what these instruments measure and their limitation in studying how the brain … Continue reading The limits of fMRI
Scientists discover AIDS in Chimpanzees
The discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by the French scientists Luc Montagnier and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi in 1983, and the, and the subsequent confirmation by the American scientist Robert Gallo that it caused AIDS was a shock to doctors and scientists around the globe, and begged the question as to whether or not similar … Continue reading Scientists discover AIDS in Chimpanzees
SR at SSR
On Monday July 20th Tom Holder gave a presentation as part of the President's Sympozium at the Society for the Study of Reproduction's 42nd Annual Meeting. The presentation was attended by around 500 members of the society, ranging from undergraduates up to well established professors. The talk provided suggestions on how to talk about science … Continue reading SR at SSR
Speaking of Research 