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Further growth for Nottingham medical research charity’s Board of Trustees

Further growth for Nottingham medical research charity’s Board of Trustees

FRAME, the Nottingham medical research charity committed to reducing the number of animals used in scientific testing, has appointed Dr Anja Petrie, a Named Veterinary Surgeon (NVS) and the Named Information Officer (NIO) at the University of Aberdeen, as a trustee.

 

In her role at the University of Aberdeen, Anja provides a comprehensive veterinary service to the university’s animal facilities and supports those working with research animals across the organisation to be compliant, helping researchers to achieve the highest possible scientific and welfare standards and promoting the 3Rs principles of replacement, reduction and refinement.

FRAME is committed to replacing the use of animals in scientific experiments, and is dedicated to the development and implementation of new and scientifically valid methods that will replace the need for laboratory animals in medical and scientific research, education, and testing.

Its Board of Trustees provides strategic direction and governance and works alongside the charity’s team that is led by CEO Celean Camp. Dr Petrie joins FRAME’s Trustees Gary Thomson, Professor David Kendall, Mary Newman, Dr Carol Treasure, Dr Lesley Gilmour and the Chair of Trustees, Dr Anna Cadogan.

Anja says:

“At the University of Aberdeen, I am dedicated to supporting high quality and reproducible research that implements the 3Rs and sharing information within the organisation about the species held. My professional experience has provided me with great insight into the associated challenges of moving away from animal research models, but the scientific community is embracing these challenges and supporting crucial changes as we seek to adopt new and developing technologies that will support robust, non-animal models.”

Anja studied Veterinary Medicine at the University of Giessen, Germany, and became a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bern, Switzerland. Anja has more than 17 years’ experience working in the field of laboratory animal science and has held several positions on the council for the Laboratory Animal Veterinary Association (LAVA), including Senior President.

Anja adds:

“I appreciate the way FRAME embraces the 3Rs and encourages change through its Alternatives Laboratory which focuses on the development of non-animal models, the delivery of one of the best experimental design courses in the UK and Europe and its collaborative, supportive and practical approach. As a FRAME trustee, I will bring my professional experience to the table, as well as a mind open to the benefits of non-animal models.

“I believe that a change in thinking and a renewed focus on reduction, replacement and refinement is achievable through appropriate education and funding opportunities as well as initiatives to promote non-animal models on an individual as well as higher systemic research level.”

Nottingham-based FRAME was instrumental in developing and establishing a validation process for in vitro assays for assessing toxicities of chemicals. The move to validated in vitro assays by the cosmetics industry has been highly successful and FRAME has collaborated with many well-known cosmetics and household product companies, including L’Oréal, Gillette, Avon and Marks & Spencer.

Dr Andrew Bennett was appointed as Director of the FRAME Alternatives Laboratory in 2006 and research now focuses on using samples obtained with full ethical approval and under licence from the Human Tissue Authority, from operations at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, to construct in vitro models of human cells and organs for biomedical research.

For more information about FRAME, visit: www.frame.org.uk


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