Dear List Members,

The following event may be of interest. 

Friday 14th September, 2007 BA Festival of Science

SEMINAR: Developing new treatments using animal experiments: separating fact from artefact.

The use of animal models of human disease is coming under increasing scrutiny. How helpful such models are in developing new treatments for humans has been the focus of increasing research. This session will explore the evidence, the challenges, and the opportunities for enhancing the robustness, relevance and transferability of data from animal experiments.
 
09:15-09:25
What do we know about animal models of disease?
Professor Peter Sandercock,University of Edinburgh
 
09:25-09:55
Systematic review and meta-analysis - what can they do?
A review of the contribution of systematic review and metaanalysis to our understanding of clinical trials
Professor Ian Roberts, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
 
09:55-10:25
Problems with developing treatments for stroke
Professor Philip Bath, University of Nottingham
 
10:25-10:55
Fact and artefact in animal models of stroke
Dr Malcolm Macleod
The CAMARADES Collaboration
 
10:40-11:00
Coffee Break
 
11:00-11:10
The public debate about the science of animal experiments
How is the debate about the relevance of animal experiments to human health played out in public? How can the quality of debate be improved?
Dr Simon Festing, Research Defence Society
 
11:10-11:20
A view from the NC3Rs
A reflection on the problems identified earlier from the perspective of the NC3Rs, and explore what might be done to help solve these problems.
Dr Vicky Robinson
National Centre for Refinement, Replacement and Reduction of Animals in Research
 
11:20-11:30
A view from the journals
A reflection on the problems identified earlier from the perspective of the scientific press, and explore what the Journals might do to help solve these problems.
Dr Virginia Barbour, PLoS Medicine
 
11:30-11:40
Why are animal studies poor predictors in medicine?
There is an urgent need for improvements in how animal experiments are performed and how they are assessed for their scientific validity. SABRE Research UK, an independent UK charity representing the interests of patients and research volunteers calls for rigorous scientific methods to assess the medical value of research involving animals.
Professor Michael Bracken, Yale University and Oxford University,
on behalf of SABRE Research UK
 
11:40-11:50
A view from the Home Office
A speaker for the Home Office Animal Inspectorate will reflect on the problems identified earlier, and explore what might be done to help solve these problems.
Home Office participant TBA
 
11:50-12:20
Separating fact from artefact - how we can improve what we do
Dr Malcolm Macleod
The CAMARADES Collaboration
 
12:35-13:05
General discussion and questions from the floor
 
Event organised by: The CAMARADES Group
Location: Chemistry C/A101, University of York (BA Festival of Science)
Cost and booking information (where applicable) £5 (included in pass)
www.the-ba.net/festivalofscience
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