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Thursday, January 22, 2026
10:00 am ET / 15:00 UTC

WORKSHOP SUMMARY

Workshop No. 5 will feature Dr. Catharine E. Krebs of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine discussing animal methods bias, a peer review bias characterized by a preference for animal-based research methods or lack of expertise to adequately evaluate nonanimal methods. Animal methods bias can affect the quality or fairness of nonanimal research assessments, including peer reviews of manuscripts and grant applications. In addition to a review of the current evidence for animal methods bias, this presentation will provide recommendations for researchers, journals, and funders for mitigating its harmful effects. It will also describe other scenarios beyond publishing and funding where animal methods bias might manifest. Survey studies consistently find that about half of respondents had been asked by reviewers to add an animal experiment to their otherwise animal-free studies. Authors often do not feel such experiments are scientifically justified but nevertheless feel pressure to comply with reviewer requests in order to ensure manuscript acceptance. If they do not add animal experiments to their studies, researchers report such consequences as delays in publication, lower-impact papers, and rejected grants. Bibliometric analysis confirms self-reported findings that high-impact papers are more likely to report animal use compared to in vitro alternatives. To learn more about this issue, please visit AnimalMethodsBias.org!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Catharine E. Krebs, PhD, is a medical research program manager with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nationwide organization of physicians and laypersons that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research and medical training. Dr. Krebs leads a collaborative international effort to characterize and address the bias toward animal-based methods within medical research: the Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias (COLAAB). She led the COLAAB to win the Lush Prize in May 2024. Read Dr. Krebs's full bio.