A young researcher from Italy wins this year's "Basel Declaration Award for Education in Animal Research" (Picture)
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It is the second time that the Basel Declaration grants its "Award for Education in Animal Research". Chiara Ruzza, PhD in pharmacology and molecular oncology, is currently completing a post-doctorate at the University of Ferrara, Italy. The prize winner takes part in a one-week course on Animal research at the University of Zurich, based on the rules of the 3Rs (Replace, Reduce, Refine). She has been mandated by her university to set up similar courses in Ferrara, with the knowledge and the skills learned at the Zurich University.
"In Ferrara too, as done at each other biomedical faculty, research on animals is carried out. Unfortunately, however, the university offers no yet courses on the correct handling of the animals entrusted to us," says the laureate. During their current research, she realized that experiments on rats and transgenic mice are essential for a successful progress of their work. At the same time, she understood that the welfare of animals used in research is the basis for meaningful experiments. Thus, she is happy that after her one-week intensive training course in Zurich, she will be able to significantly improve her own research activities. On top of that, her own university can now seize the opportunity to develop similar courses thanks to the newly acquired expertise in biomedical education. This is also the only way to insure that EU directive, with its high ethical requirements on animal research, can be implemented in Italy, too.
The "Basel Declaration Award for Education in Animal Research" is a grant own to Charles River, one of the leading breeders and suppliers of rodents for basic and biomedical research, sponsored with the goal that the training of researchers leading trials will be internationally enhanced. The course attended by Chiara Ruzza in Zurich is certified by FELASA, the Federation for Laboratory Animal Science Associations.
Unfortunately, using animals in the biological-medical research remains an indispensable activity. However, minimizing suffering and pain for the animals used in experiments is a must; one should also use only as many animals as absolutely necessary for the desired gain of knowledge. The 3Rs (Replace, Reduce, Refine) are thus the highest ethical principle, which rules are to be enforced worldwide. And so, laboratory animals will be able to lead a more animal- friendly life and at the same time, the quality of scientific experiments will clearly improve.
Contact:
Astrid Kugler
Basel Declaration Society
kugler@basel-declaration.org
+41 44 365 30 90
www.basel-declaration.org