Center News - Washington National Primate Research Center

A Way Forward With Alternative Models of Research

A recent workshop put on by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) called for more funding for research leveraging New Alternative Methods (NAMs), and less for animal models. The Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC) strongly supports the development of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in biomedical research to refine, reduce and replace animal testing. And as the director of WaNPRC, I think it’s important for the public to understand how we get there.

There is no doubt that research using animal models has an enormous impact on human health. It has unlocked important insights into the underlying biologic processes that impact our health and causes of disease and has made possible the development of new medicines that are now preventing and treating diseases and saving countless human lives. Indeed, nearly every prescription medicine we have today can trace its success to research and testing in animals. The long-acting drug, Yeztugo (Lenacapavir) that was recently approved by the FDA to prevent HIV infection is just one example that can trace its origins to a pivotal study in nonhuman primates at the Washington National Primate Center that provided the first in vivo proof that administering antiretrovirals pre-exposure could prevent HIV infection.

Scientists take seriously their responsibility to ensure that the animals they use in their research to advance knowledge while also refining methods to minimize pain or distress. They are also motivated to develop new methods to reduce the number of animals needed, or replace them entirely, to gain that knowledge. Researchers using animals are deeply committed to these principles of the “3Rs”, and they have, and will, continue to play a central role in advancing NAMs to achieve these goals.

Nonhuman primates (NHPs) comprise an extremely small percentage (<0.5%) of all animals used in biomedical research but they serve an outsized role in enabling the advancement of many areas of research due to their very close biological and physiological similarities to humans. To date, there are still no better alternatives than the NHP, including other animals or non-animal methods, to model many complex biological functions in humans including the central nervous system, cognitive function, the immune system, ear and eye function, fertility and the female reproductive system, long-term toxicity and systemic metabolism, to name just a few. Scientists have learned much about diseases, prevention and treatments from NHPs and many of these findings have led to new medicines in humans. Using animals that are so like humans, however, naturally raises ethical concerns which is why NHP research is highly regulated and requires an extremely high bar to justify their use. And it’s also why NHP researchers have, for years, worked to find ways to refine, reduce and replace their use in research. For example, at WaNPRC:

Our primate behaviorists developed a novel positive reinforcement training method that encourages NHPs to work cooperatively with researchers. In doing so, there is little or no stress enabling more accurate evaluation of their response to stimuli and experimental drugs (refinement).
Our infectious disease and gene therapy scientists have developed and validated several highly reliable in vitro and ex vivo NHP and parallel human models to screen new medicines for safety and efficacy prior to testing them in NHPs. This has significantly reduced the numbers of NHPs needed per experiment, from approximately 30-80 10+ years ago to < 20 today (reduction).
Our neuroscientists are developing highly innovative algorithms for AI prediction of brain function including pioneering work that defines how neural activity controls movement (i.e. “decoding of the brain). We are also using AI to create a neural network that associates images NHPs see with a response to those images to develop a “digital twin” of a real neuron. Training AI models is not possible without collecting real-life data from NHPs as the closest model to humans to accurately measure brain activity. The long-term goal is to enable hypothesis testing of complex brain functions without the need for animals (replacement).

As a result of these efforts and many other examples like this at WaNPRC, since 2018, we have reduced the number of NHPs required to support research projects by over 30% while increasing the number of research projects and discoveries. Given our shared goal and motivation to reduce the reliance of biomedical research on animals, scientists and vet staff at WaNPRC strongly support the mission that the NIH and FDA announced in this workshop to reduce animal testing through the development of NAMs.

The success of NAMs will depend on high standards for validation against established animal models. While research in NAMs is rapidly progressing, moving too quickly creates considerable potential risk. To replace animals, rigorous testing must be done for each new alternative to ensure it can accurately model patient safety and provide regulatory confidence. As promising as these tools are, they still vary widely in their maturity, standardization and predictive power. While many are being used by researchers to complement and enhance what we can learn from animals and their ability to predict outcomes in humans, most are not yet ready to completely replace animals. Enthusiasm for innovation in NAMs should not outpace the careful validation necessary to protect patients and the need to preserve the public’s trust and integrity in the drug development process.

In summary, the use of animals, including nonhuman primates, remains necessary for many types of biomedical research. We applaud the FDAs decision to phase out mandatory animal testing for drugs when there is clear validation and high confidence in the alternative. At the same time, replacing and reducing animal testing must be guided by rigorous standards and made on a case-by-case basis. This will require a strong partnership with scientists who do animal research and careful, evidence-based roll-out of policies. This will require increased investment not only in NAMs but also continued investment in animal models, especially for complex endpoints that require a deep understanding of underlying mechanism, many of which have yet to be discovered and where the initial insight may only be possible through animal studies.

A careful phased approach is needed that includes fostering collaborations and trust with researchers, clinicians and veterinarians who can help develop clear guidelines, criteria and confidence in the reliability of any new technologies. The future of drug development will depend on this, and we welcome the opportunity to work with the NIH and FDA on this mission.

Deborah H. Fuller, PhD
Professor, Department of Microbiology | University of Washington School of Medicine
Director | Washington National Primate Research Center

ONPRC Stays Open Amid Misinformation Push

I applaud the Oregon legislature for tabling a misguided bill that would have shut down the Oregon National Primate Research Center. The bill, HB3978, would have phased out research with monkeys, prohibiting such research by May 1, 2029.

While this did not pass, the legislature added language to their budget bill before adjourning to force a report due in January to show that no state general funds are used for costs associated with operations at ONPRC, and to provide a plan to close the center if it’s NIH grant income drops by 25%.

In response, ONPRC Director Rudolph “Skip” Bohm said, “OHSU worked throughout the legislative session to share factual information about the Oregon National Primate Research Center and dispel the false attacks on science and our dedicated workforce. We are pleased that all legislation to close the center or eliminate certain types of funding for the center failed.

He added, “Budget notes are not legislation or law. OHSU will utilize the resources to both highlight the lifesaving work happening at the Oregon National Primate Research Center and develop a plan to partner with the state legislature to support our patients, people, and the welfare of the animals at the ONPRC in the event deep federal cuts to research funding impact the center.”

While ONPRC avoided an immediate shutdown, we should use this borrowed time to push back on misinformation and heighten awareness about the truth of the critical role nonhuman primate play in biomedical cures.

The attempt to close ONPRC was just the latest in a series of efforts to shut down the center, starting back in spring when the activist groups ran broadcast ads against it, followed by a statement from Oregon’s governor to that she’d like to see the center close.

In ONPRC’s case there was a lot of misinformation about how ONPRC’s funding might be diverted to other uses at the Oregon Health and Science University, which oversees ONPRC. That’s not how primate center funding works. ONPRC and other National Primate Research Centers receive research-specific grant awards from the National Institutes of Health, research foundations, industry partners, or from philanthropists. These funds can only be used for specific research projects. And they aren’t being diverted from other uses, nor can they be repurposed for those uses if the center were to close.

Some proponents of halting animal research claim it’s cruel. That’s just not so. For starters, there are strict regulations on the use of all animals in research and nonhuman primates in particular. They are only used for studies where no other viable alternative exists. And studies with NHPs must first be approved by NIH scientific peer review panels to ensure the research question being asked is important to human health, that the question can only be addressed in NHPs and not another species like mice or fish. Furthermore, proposed studies must also be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, not to mention following all federal regulations including oversight from the federal Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, the U.S. Department of Agriculture which conducts inspections and enforces the Animal Welfare Act, and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC International), which monitors animal care within the United States and accredits research institutions.

There are also arguments that the research is unnecessary and outdated when there are New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), such as computer modeling. But that’s simply not true, either. While there have been many advances NAMs and they are currently being used to achieve many biomedical goals, they are far from being sufficient to replace animals research including research in NHPs. More work is needed to improve to improve and validate their translatability and relevance to humans. Importantly, much of that work will require qualification and validation via comparative studies to NHPs and other animal models, that have, for decades provided the gold standard for establishing in vivo proof of concept and safety before advancing a potential new breakthrough to human clinical trials. To date, no non-animal model can adequately model the complex biology of a living person or animal including the immune system, the brain, metabolism and physiology to name a few. NHP research was essential to achieve breakthroughs in Covid, gene therapy, brain-computer interfaces, infectious disease, neuroscience and more. Just last week, a new drug to prevent HIV infection was approved, and would not have been possible without the contributions of WaNPRC researchers and NHPs. It’s important to recognize that for most biomedical questions, NAMs are still not sufficient to replace animals. Furthermore, we should not think of animals and NAMs as competitive strategies, that one will replace the other. The value of NAMs models is not just limited to their potential to reduce our reliance NHPs but rather, we very often use these approaches as complementary studies alongside in vivo NHP studies because they can help us answer different kinds of questions.

In support of these goals, at WaNPRC, we are working to promote the discovery, refinement and validation of alternative methods to complement our NHP studies and reduce the number of animals required for our research. And we are going to invest in that, in line with NIH priorities.

I share ONPRC Director Skip Bohm’s vision that our goal is to reduce the need for NHPs. We’ve already started the work, and we’ll keep going it. That won’t happen if activists and other succeed in shutting that research down altogether.

So I commend the Oregon legislature for pausing their effort for now. It will allow scientists to focus on science and actually move in the direction that we all want to go.

Dr. Deborah H Fuller
Director, WaNPRC

WaNPRC Research Led to “Game-Changer” HIV Drugs

You can trace a direct line between the recent headline-grabbing FDA approval of HIV prevention and treatment drugs to research at the Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC). And the history of WaNPRC’s involvement in fighting the HIV epidemic goes back years.

While media coverage of Yeztugo, formally known as lenacapavir or Sunlenca, is understandably focused on the successful human trials, it might not have gotten to human trials at all were it not for animal studies, including those done at WaNPRC.

Yeztugo is a promising tool for many patients. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV. Even though fewer people are getting HIV each year — with about 36,300 new cases in 2018 and 31,800 in 2022 — the disease still hits certain groups harder than others. Experts think one big reason HIV is still a problem is because many people who could benefit from medicine that prevents it (called PrEP, or Pre–Exposure Prophylaxis) either don’t know about it, can’t easily get it, or forget to take it every day. So, a twice-a-year shot has the potential to boost the longstanding effort to reduce HIV rates over the coming years. While Yeztugo is for PrEP, Sunlenca is used as a treatment of HIV in combination with other medications. How these drugs got to this point is where WaNPRC researchers and monkeys enter the picture.

In lieu of a cure, the focus has been on using PrEP to halt transmission between people.

In the mid-1990s, Dr Che-Chung Tsai, a WaNPRC affiliate scientist, showed that an experimental drug, called tenofovir, when administered to pigtail macaques just before or after exposure to SIV (a virus very similar to HIV that causes AIDS in nonhuman primates) study completely protected the animals from infection without adverse effects.

This success led Gilead to develop the licensed version of tenofovir (called Truvada) that has been now used for two decades in the US and worldwide to reduce HIV transmission. This success led Gilead to pursue more options. Among those was lenacapavir, now known by the brand name “Yeztugo and Sunlenca.”

Before Yeztugo and Sunlenca could be tested in humans, it had to be first tested in petri dishes to show it could neutralize the virus. Years of work led to optimizing the drug’s ability to neutralize the virus in a dish. But showing a drug works well in a dish is not enough. To determine the feasibility of using this drug in people, essential studies in nonhuman primates were needed to determine the dose of drug needed to block infection in the body, to determine where the drug goes in the body and if it was safe. This is where WaNPRC once again enters the picture. Dr. Tsai’s early work with Truvada showed the value of the pigtail macaque in predicting the success of a treatment for human use and this led to researchers testing this new drug to reach out to WaNPRC to support this research by providing pigtail macaques for their crucial preclinical study prior to advancing this drug to human clinical trials.

“Female pigtail macaques are preferred for studies to develop antivirals and vaccines to prevent vaginal and rectal transmission of HIV due to their close similarity to both males and females. In particular, female pigtail macaques exhibit the closest similarity to the human female menstrual cycle and have played a crucial role for decades in studies of HIV transmission and prevention in women”said WaNPRC Director Deborah Fuller, who lauded the work leading up to this new drug.

But the work doesn’t end there. WaNPRC is continuing to support studies that aim to halt the spread of HIV. Dr. Rodney Ho, a WaNPRC affiliate researcher and professor in pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Washington pigtail macaques at WaNPRC is developing a different long-acting HIV drug combination, intended to provide even longer lasting HIV viral suppression. His innovation recently entered human clinical trials in collaboration with WaNPRC’s Associate Director of Research, Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf.

He touts his contributions in establishing the methods were used to enable the ability of PrEP to directly improve human health. With antiviral drugs preventing transmission, Ho said, “life expectance greatly increases. There’s no public burden on health care costs and a higher quality of life for patients who can live out their normal lives.”

The story of Yeztugo and Sunlenca is a powerful example of how early-stage research at WaNPRC laid the foundation for medical breakthroughs that can saved millions of lives. The WaNPRC’s contributions underscore the role of nonhuman primates in translating discoveries into real-world solutions. WaNPRC is committed to this mission and will continue to play a key role in developing the next-gen treatments to prevent and treat HIV and to improve the quality of life and health of people.

Infections in Pregnancy May Alter Brain Development

Illustration of Influenza A and Zika side-by-side. — Illustration of Influenza A (left) and Zika

A new study from researchers at the WaNPRC and Seattle Children’s Hospital offers clues about how viral infections during pregnancy might affect a developing baby’s brain — possibly linking early changes to the development of neurological or psychiatric conditions later in life.

Scientists studied the effects of two viruses — influenza A and Zika — on fetal brain development in pregnant pigtail macaques. Their focus was on a vulnerable area of the brain that’s vital for communication between different brain regions and is still developing late into pregnancy.

In some of the fetal brains, researchers found unusual changes in cells called astrocytes — the brain’s support cells. These altered astrocytes were filled with tiny granules and stood out under the microscope. The researchers dubbed these cells “inclusion cells” because of the grainy material packed inside them.

These inclusion cells showed signs of stress and self-digestion. Nearby immune cells in the brain also appeared activated, suggesting the brain was responding to some kind of injury. These changes were more common when the mother had been infected just a few days to up to three weeks. But they weren’t seen with longer or much shorter infection windows — or in brains affected by other types of injuries, like oxygen deprivation.

The viruses also didn’t seem to be infecting the fetal brain directly. Instead, the brain may have been reacting to inflammation or immune signals from the mother’s body — not the virus itself.

These changes didn’t cause visible birth defects, but they may represent subtle, early damage that could affect brain wiring or development. This is important because many conditions like autism, epilepsy, or developmental delay don’t always show obvious signs on brain scans but may be linked to very early injuries.

The study raises questions about whether a mild or unnoticed infection during pregnancy affects a baby’s brain in ways that only show up years later. And could a better understanding of these mild injuries help us prevent or treat neurodevelopmental disorders?

“A healthy brain at birth is the foundation for a child’s ability to develop to its full potential,” said Dr. Adams Waldorf, a Professor at UW Medicine and lead researcher on the study. “If we understand how these kinds of subtle fetal brain injuries begin, we can figure out how to prevent them in the first place.”

More research is needed — especially in humans — to answer those questions. But for now, their findings add to growing evidence that maternal health and immune responses during pregnancy can play a powerful role in shaping brain development long before birth.

You can read the full report in Acta Neuropathologica Communications.

Response Underway Following Groundwater Test Results at Arizona Facility

Routine groundwater monitoring of a well at the Washington National Primate Research

Centers (WaNPRC) located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC)

land recently identified perchlorate levels that reached the designated threshold for

activating the facility’s contingency plan. Perchlorate is a chemical compound that can be

both manufactured and naturally occurring.

The perchlorate levels were detected by the sampling vendor hired by the company

contracted to Nammo Defense Systems (NDS). Nammo is taking the lead to facilitate

environmental cleanup of the site. As part of the remediation responsibilities, regular

groundwater testing results are provided to the WaNPRC and all relevant regulatory

partners. Although no statewide regulatory limit for perchlorate in groundwater exists in

Arizona, the Arizona Department of Health Services has developed a drinking water

health-based guidance level of 11 micrograms per liter (μg/L) for the compound. This

concentration was developed to protect the most sensitive population, children. The most

recent detected levels of 6.6 micrograms per liter (μg/L) does not exceed this level but it

does exceed the action threshold established in coordination with University of

Washington, WaNPRC, and NDS, and this prompted immediate protective measures.

NDS activated the contingency plan to safeguard the health and safety of the research

animals at WaNPRC and began delivering potable water to the facility to minimize

operational impacts while strategic consideration for a long-term water filtration solution

is developed.

NDS also notified and is actively coordinating with regulatory and community partners,

including the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC), the US

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Arizona Department of Environmental

Quality (ADEQ). WaNPRC is also actively collaborating with these agencies as it follows its

response strategy.

For questions or concerns, please contact: uwnews@uw.edu.

June 18, 2025

WaNPRC’s Global Conservation, Education and Outreach Unit Marks 25 Years of Field Training in Tangkoko 

For over two decades, the annual Field Course in Conservation Biology & Global Health at Tangkoko Nature Reserve, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, has been shaping generations of conservationists. This year, the course marked a significant milestone— its 25th anniversary— reinforcing the importance of long-term collaboration in global conservation efforts. 

Led by Randy Kyes (research professor in psychology and chief of the GCEO unit at UW’s WaNPRC) along with dedicated partners from the Faculty of Animal Science (Fapet) at Sam Ratulangi University (UNSRAT) and the Primate Research Center (PSSP) at IPB University (IPB), this field course has offered hands-on training to local university students and professionals for years, equipping them with the skills to understand and protect biodiversity. Historically, it stands alongside another long-running program in Indonesia— the 30th-anniversary field course on Tinjil Island, Banten, Java, conducted in partnership with PSSP-IPB in 2022. 

Three black macaques grooming in green foliage — Three critically endangered Sulawesi black macaques (Macaca nigra) bonding during ritual grooming in Indonesia’s Tangkoko Nature Reserve

Beyond fieldwork and research, the program has fostered lasting connections with local communities. Since 2001, the annual outreach education program has brought conservation awareness to elementary school children from Batu Putih, a village bordering the reserve. Guided by field course participants, the children learn about Sulawesi black macaques, participate in an art contest promoting conservation, and enjoy a reception to celebrate their efforts. 

group photo of outreach activity participants, teachers and elementary school children wearing red uniforms in Indonesia — Dr Kyes seated with elementary school children from Batu Putih and field course participants at the reception following outreach activities Photo: courtesy RCKyes 2025

The program’s impact extends far beyond its immediate goals. Over time, many of these schoolchildren have returned to participate in the field course as young adults, eager to continue their conservation journey. To date, 30 former outreach students have joined the field course, some pursuing university degrees in conservation, others working with NGOs or leading ecotourism efforts in Tangkoko. 

This initiative thrives because of the dedicated participation and support of our many collaborators notes Randy, including Fapet-UNSRAT, PSSP-IPB, the Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC) and the Center for Global Field Study (CGFS) at the University of Washington (UW), Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam, Department of Forestry (SULUT), Center for Southeast Asia and its Diasporas at UW, One Earth Institute, Selamatkan Yaki, and the community of Batu Putih. “It’s difficult to express how gratifying it is to witness firsthand the growth and success of our field course alumni and outreach participants. Listening to their words of appreciation for the opportunity to have participated in this field training program is the validation of our years of effort,” Kyes shared.

As Randy and his collaborators celebrate this milestone, they’re looking forward to many more years of educating, inspiring, and working together to protect the fragile ecosystems of Indonesia. The WaNPRC’s GCEO outreach and field course alumni are continuing to play key roles in shaping the future of conservation in the region.

Learn more about Kyes, his field work, and the Global Conservation, Education and Outreach unit:

Mapping Safer Roads for Nepalese Wildlife

Every year, in Nepal’s Banke National Park, hundreds of wild animals are killed trying to cross a single stretch of road. This road, just under 60 miles long, cuts through the heart of the park. From April 2015 to March 2024, scientists including WaNPRC’s Randy Kyes, Unit Chief of the Global Conservation Education and Outreach core, closely monitored this road and recorded 488 collisions between vehicles and wildlife. Most of the victims were mammals, including rare or endangered animals like golden monitor lizards, leopard cats, and four-horned antelope. These incidents aren’t just tragic for the animals; they also pose serious safety risks for drivers and come at a steep economic cost.

The researchers didn’t stop at counting the accidents. They wanted to understand where and why they were happening. Using maps, field surveys, and computer models, they identified three major danger zones on that road. These hotspots were responsible for more than 60% of all wildlife collisions. They also learned that accidents happened more often in the autumn, when animals are more active after the rainy season. And they discovered that curvy roads and sections far from human settlements saw the most accidents, while areas that ran through denser forests or had straighter paths tended to be safer for both animals and people.

Kyes and the other scientists published a paper in Nature summarizing their findings in a call to action. The study shows that with the right measures, like building wildlife overpasses, putting up warning signs, lowering speed limits in key areas, and educating the public — these deadly accidents can be reduced, both protecting wildlife and making roads safer for everyone. The work done in Banke National Park offers a roadmap for how science and conservation can work together to create safer spaces for nature and humans alike.

New Clues to COVID in Vulnerable Patients

WaNPRC Core Scientist Megan O’Connor just published her latest research in Frontiers in Immunology exploring what happens when there are co-infections of HIV and COVID-19 in rhesus macaques. The implications are important for future Covid treatments for people with weakened immune systems.

O’Connor, who is also an Asst. Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Washington, found that monkeys with SIV (a virus similar to HIV in humans) who were co-infected with COVID-19 had COVID longer, had a weaker immune response, and underwent changes to their gut and lung microbiomes. And that these responses were different from monkeys with COVID who were otherwise healthy.

“This work is very exciting because it shows that studying monkeys can help us ask important questions and track responses that are hard to study directly with people with COVID-19,” she said.

Her study found that the COVID-19 virus stayed in the nose and throat of SIV-infected monkeys longer than it usually does in healthy monkeys. And that the SIV-infected monkeys didn’t make as many antibodies and immune cells to fight Covid-19. Their immune systems didn’t sound the alarm properly. And the mix of bacteria in the SIV-infected monkeys’ throats and gut changed temporarily during the COVID-19 infection. What’s more, the COVID-19 virus started to evolve while inside the SIV-infected monkeys.

The monkeys experienced mild COVID symptoms and their lungs didn’t show much damage.

Many of the outcomes in SIV-COVID-19 co-infected monkeys are similar to what is seen with COVID-19 in individuals that have weakened immune systems, including people living with HIV, those with cancer, and the elderly. This research may help doctors understand why people with HIV, and other people with a, might be contagious with COVID for a longer time, not respond to vaccines as well and be at higher risk for re-infection and complications.

This might help scientists create and test new vaccines and treatments specifically for people with weakened immune systems. It might also help them understand “long COVID” since some of the same problems happen in both conditions.

Dr O’Connor and her team are currently studying whether monkeys with SIV that have already fought off COVID-19 are protected against a secondary exposure to COVID-19.

Evidence of Bipartisan Support for Research in D.C.

I recently returned from Washington, D.C., where I was pleased to see something uncommon right now: bipartisan support for biomedical research. I want to applaud it and call out what WaNPRC is doing to continue to deserve that support.

I heard Republicans and Democrats alike praise the benefits of research at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing entitled: Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation. Both the chair and vice chair, Sen. Susan Collings (R) Maine and Sen Patty Murray (D) Washington, spoke forcefully on the need for the federal government to continue funding biomedical research.

Senator Collins pointed out that every dollar of funding from the National Institutes of Health generates new economic activity of more than $2.50. But the imperative to keep investing is “not just about scientists and researchers and economic activity,” she said.

“If clinical trials are halted, research is stopped. And laboratories are closed. Effective treatments and cures for diseases like Alzheimer’s, Type 1 Diabetes, childhood cancers, and Duchene’s Muscular dystrophy will be delayed or not discovered at all. We must preserve and strengthen America’s leadership for the sake of families all across this country,” she said.

Senator Murray concurred, pointing to the obvious benefits of government-backed research. “Those investments have paid off in so many ways. Not just billions in economic activity, hundreds of thousands of jobs and a medical research enterprise that is the envy of the world. They’ve also paid off with genuine miracles. Cures that were once impossible, treatments that were once unthinkable. These are investments that give patients hope for the future, that give them back a live derailed by a disease, that give people precious more time with their loved ones. Which is why I am so deeply alarmed that President Trump has taken a wrecking ball to our biomedical research enterprise.”

Senator Murray was referring to attempts to gut funding by cutting indirect costs that provide the very buildings and equipment and other support that researchers need to do this work, and by attempts to slash contracts and gut agencies that fund research and protect public health.

As I sat in the chamber, I was deeply moved by the personal story of one witness at the hearing. Emily Stenson is a mom whose daughter Charlie was three when she was diagnosed with cancer. With Charlie, now five, on her lap, Ms. Stenson testified that her daughter, whose cancer is in remission, was benefiting from a new mRNA-backed test to detect relapse. A test discovered through research at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Washington.

“We first learned about this test in 2023, and knowing it’s almost within reach brings us so much hope. It’s real proof that continued research doesn’t just change lives—it saves them,” she said. Then she added, “…if you were in my shoes, you would want to know that everything possible was being done to save your child or grandchild…. Cuts to medical research are not just numbers on a spreadsheet—they are stolen chances, unfinished stories, and futures left unrealized… That is why I am asking you today: please continue to fund and prioritize pediatric medical research. Every investment you make saves lives, protects futures, and gives children like Charlie a fighting chance to grow up and thrive.”

At WaNPRC, we are deeply motivated by the impact our research has on human and animal health. Some of us are motivated by personal experience, having benefited from that research.

And while the administration vows to phase out animal testing requirements for certain treatments, I believe we can be part of a future that contributes to reaching the goal of using New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) that can reduce animal testing. Right now, it’s not clear if NAMs can ever fully replace animal testing, but it’s becoming clearer that it can help reduce it. Examples include using Artificial Intelligence, “organs on a chip” to recreate what happens in a body’s organs, or 3D cell cultures that mimic the structure of organs. These are great ideas, but they aren’t full realized yet. These technologies cannot replace animal models or replicate the complex biological systems such as the immune system, metabolic processes and the brain.

To help get there, we need to validate these alternative approaches and WaNPRC can and will be a party to research to prove these approaches – and others that may be discovered. To accelerate this, WaNPRC is planning to offer a NAM Ignition Award. The purpose of this award will be to focus on nonhuman primate models to support our mission in the 3Rs of animal welfare. We anticipate these projects will significantly assist the development, validation and scaling of non-animal approaches.

But it will take the continued bipartisan support and federal investment to get there. I look forward to WaNPRC contributing to that future.

WaNPRC Director Featured for Biomedical Research Awareness Day 4/17

Unlocking Prevention: How Vaccine Research in Animals Saves People and Animals.

WaNPRC director Dr Deborah Fuller is the featured speaker for Biomedical Research Awareness Day, an annual international outreach program by Americans for Medical Progress.

Imagine a world without vaccines. No protection from Polio, no flu shots to prevent seasonal outbreaks, and no defense against emerging disease like COVID-19. Vaccines have saved millions of lives and were made possible only through vital animal research.
This talk will focus on how animals, including rodents and nonhuman primates, are essential to our goal to develop new vaccines that an prevent future epidemics and pandemics caused by infectious diseases. Dr Fuller will talk about the emergence of Valley Fever a serous fungal disease that is rapidly spreading due to climate change and how one small colony of nonhuman primates in the Southwest United States may hold the key to developing a vaccine that can protect humans and their pets.

Join the webinar Thursday, April 17, 9-10am PT. Find out more and register here.