#TransparencyThursday

News from EARA

This page contains all the news outputs from EARA, including press releases and videos, EARA policy and news briefings, plus opinion pieces and significant media articles.

Other pages in this section explain more about EARA on social media and practical information for journalists.

Gege Li

Feb 20
1 min

EARA video on cancer research studies

The latest episode of EARA’s #TransparencyThursday Instagram series features Dr Tommaso Virgilio, a cancer researcher at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine in Bellinzona, Switzerland. Dr Virgilio answered questions (see the video) about how he uses mice to study the spread of different types of cancer, to find ways to help the body’s immune system kill cancer cells – a technique called immunotherapy. He explained that mice are important in research as they can model th

Bob Tolliday

Dec 21, 2022
1 min

Why animal research matters – videos

A host of scientists came forward in 2022 to talk to EARA about their use of animals in research and why it is necessary. The Q&A Instagram series #TransparencyThursday (now collated on EARA's YouTube) featured researchers from Belgium, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the UK and USA. For example: Alexander Bartelt, of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, answered your questions on how mice, rats and other animals can be used to understand die

Be Open About Animal Research Day 2022: #TransparencyThursday

Maria Vlastara

Jun 16, 2022
1 min

Be Open About Animal Research Day 2022: #TransparencyThursday

EARA #TransparencyThursday, which features regularly on our Instagram feed (and also on YouTube), is an initiative that gives the public the chance to hear scientists explain about why they use animals in their research. During Be Open About Animal Research Day 2022 (#BOARD22), scientists and communicators from different organisations and institutions answered questions on how and why there is a need for openness and transparency on animal research. Watch the video Q&As below

Maria Vlastara

May 30, 2022
1 min

Zebrafish and chemical testing

A Belgian researcher has spoken on EARA’s #TransparencyThursday Instagram series, about her research involving the use of zebrafish embryos. Chloé Bars, a PhD student at EARA member the University of Antwerp’s Comparative Perinatal Development Laboratory, explained why zebrafish embryos are a good model for chemical safety assessment of the anti-epileptic drug, carbamazepine. See the video now on EARA YouTube. She explained that zebrafish embryos can be used to test if the by

Zebrafish feature on EARA #TransparencyThursday

Bob Tolliday

May 2, 2022
1 min

Zebrafish feature on EARA #TransparencyThursday

The theme of the recent Biomedical Research Awareness Day (BRAD) was zebrafish and to mark it Belgian researcher Cindy Streiff answered questions for our #TransparencyThursday series on Instagram. Cindy is a PhD student in the Immunology Vaccinology Laboratory, at the University of Liège, and is studying the effect on zebrafish larvae of Alloherpesviruses – zebrafish are a good model for cultured fish species, such as the common carp. Asked why she uses zebrafish, she explai

Ana Barros

Apr 4, 2022
1 min

#TransparencyThursday

A leading scientist in Germany has spoken about his research involving the use of animals for EARA’s #TransparencyThursday Q&A series on Instagram. Professor Alexander Bartelt, of Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, answered questions on how mice, rats and other animals can be used to understand diet and weight gain in humans, and how it can lead to diabetes or cardiovascular disease. He explained, that while cell models can help understand how the metabolism works and ide

Ana Barros

Mar 28, 2022
1 min

#BOARD22 apply now

The second edition of the “Be Open About Animal Research Day” (#BOARD22) is taking place on Thursday, 16 June during the Felasa Congress. Last year, examples of initiatives across the world on Twitter, included statements from partners, case studies & articles, #TransparencyThursday Q&As, live events, and videos & live streamed interviews. The key details for #BOARD22, are described in the guide, including these deadlines: Registration: Friday, 29 April – apply here. Send us

Ana Barros

Dec 27, 2021
1 min

Researchers on Instagram in 2021

This year on EARA Intagram, we saw more scientists than ever, coming forward publicly to answer questions about their research using animals. The Q&A video series #TransparencyThursday, featured 28 researchers talking about topics such as cardiovascular and inflammatory disorders, depression and anxiety, therapies for glaucoma, and 3Rs improvements, among others. Scientists from Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switz

Scientists talk about their research using animals

Ana Barros

Dec 20, 2021
1 min

Scientists talk about their research using animals

Find out more about how leading scientists from around the world have been answering your questions about their studies using animals. EARA's #TransparencyThursday, which features regularly on our Instagram feed (and also on YouTube) is an initiative that allows the public the chance to find out exactly why scientists need to use animals to pursue their biomedical research. Researchers post a video on EARA Instagram with a short description of their studies and invite viewers

Ana Barros

Nov 29, 2021
1 min

EARA at events in Portugal

EARA will take part in a discussion on the recent vote by the EU Parliament to end animal research, and its potential impact in Europe, at a major conference in Portugal next month. On 10 December, EARA member, the Portuguese Society of Laboratory Animal Sciences (SPCAL), will address the topic Responsible Research and Innovation in Science in Laboratory Animals, with EARA executive director, Kirk Leech; Adrian Smith of Norway’s 3Rs body Norecopa, and Penny Hawkins of the RSP

Ana Barros

Nov 8, 2021
1 min

Neuroscientist Q&A on EARA Instagram

This Thursday, a leading researcher from Germany will be answering questions on EARA Instagram about his research on motion and movement. Jean Laurens, group leader at EARA member Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, uses marmoset monkeys to study how we sense our own motion, and how we orient ourselves when moving in 3D space. The Q&A initiative, #TransparencyThursday, gives the public an opportunity to find out why it is necess

Ana Barros

Oct 25, 2021
1 min

New #TransparencyThursday

A leading scientist on anxiety disorders, will be answering questions about her research using animals as part of EARA’s #TransparencyThursday series this week. In collaboration with BRAD - Biomedical Research Awareness Day, Margaux Kenwood, a researcher in the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and 2021-2022 BRAD fellow, will talk about her use of animal models to study anxiety disorders. The interview takes place on Thursday, 28 October, on EARA’s Instagram account and you ca

Be Open About Animal Research Day - #TransparencyThursday Q&As

Ana Barros

Jun 30, 2021
1 min

Be Open About Animal Research Day - #TransparencyThursday Q&As

EARA's #TransparencyThursday, which features regularly on our Instagram feed (and also on YouTube) is an initiative that allows the public the chance to find out exactly why scientists need to use animals to pursue their biomedical research. During Be Open About Animal Research Day 2021 (#BOARD21), communicators and scientists from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Philippines, Portugal, Spain, UK, and the USA, answered questions about openness or their research u

Ana Barros

May 10, 2021
1 min

Depression & swimming mice

A new article highlights the importance of using animal models in the search for more effective antidepressant drugs. Currently, antidepressants only work for two thirds of patients, and can cause unpleasant side-effects. In the article, published by Understanding Animal Research (see video), scientists explained how animals play a key part in screening for potential new treatments. “At the moment, there is no alternative to using animals in that research,” states Dr Sarah Ba

Scientists in Germany talk about their research using animals

Ana Barros

May 8, 2021
1 min

Scientists in Germany talk about their research using animals

EARA's #TransparencyThursday is an initiative on Instagram that allows the public the chance to find out why it is necessary to use animals in research. Our guest Max Rieckmann, of University Clinic Halle, answered questions about his research on heart attacks and the immune system. Do you wish veterinarians to be more involved in the day-to-day research involving animal experiments side by side with other scientists? The full Q&A videos are available here.

Scientists in Greece talk about their research using animals

Ana Barros

May 8, 2021
1 min

Scientists in Greece talk about their research using animals

EARA's #TransparencyThursday is an initiative on Instagram that allows the public the chance to find out why it is necessary to use animals in research. Christina Dalla, of the Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, answered questions about her studies in animal models of depression and anxiety. Can you explain what the Forced Swim Test is and why it is effective? The full Q&A videos are available here.

Scientists in Switzerland talk about their research using animals

Ana Barros

May 8, 2021
1 min

Scientists in Switzerland talk about their research using animals

EARA's #TransparencyThursday is an initiative on Instagram that allows the public the chance to find out why it is necessary to use animals in research. Our guest Johannes Bohacek of ETH Zurich answered questions about his research on how acute stress changes brain function and increases anxiety in mice. Why do you work in mice? The full Q&A videos are available here.

Scientists in the Netherlands talk about their research using animals

Ana Barros

May 8, 2021
1 min

Scientists in the Netherlands talk about their research using animals

EARA's #TransparencyThursday is an initiative on Instagram that allows the public the chance to find out why it is necessary to use animals in research. Our guest Jocelien Olivier of University of Groningen, answered questions about her research in depression during pregnancy. We also heard from Judith Homberg of Radboud University Medical Center who answered questions about animal models to understand individual differences in behaviour associated with stress-related disorde

Scientists in Portugal talk about their research using animals

Ana Barros

May 8, 2021
1 min

Scientists in Portugal talk about their research using animals

EARA's #TransparencyThursday is an initiative on Instagram that allows the public the chance to find out why it is necessary to use animals in research. Our first guest was Salomé Pinho, group leader of the Immunology, Cancer Glycomedicine group at the Institute for Research & Innovation in Health (i3s), whose work focuses on cancer and chronic inflammatory conditions. We also heard from Sofia Viana, of Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), who answer

Ana Barros

May 3, 2021
1 min

Live #TransparencyThursday

A live edition of the EARA’s Instagram initiative #TransparencyThursday takes place this week in Portugal. The Q&A session, where a scientist answers questions about their research with animals, is part of a workshop to improve communications about the use of animals in research, organised by the Health Communication Laboratory and Animal Facility from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra. During the event, researcher Raquel Boia of Coimbra Institute for Clini