Description
Background: Animal-free innovation becomes easier if you choose to do it together: with patients, researchers, financiers, health professionals and policy makers. A Helpathon, inspired by the Dutch “transition to animal free innovations (TPI)” network, is an innovative 2 day workshop. An interdisciplinary group, guided by the Helpathon Team, assists a scientist to transition to animal free research by sharing resources, knowledge and necessary networks and helps find funding.Method:
Key moments of the Helpathon workshop:
Opening Phase: the central research question is illuminated by the scientist.
Open Space Phase: has no predetermined agenda! Everything considered important to the central question is covered, thought ought and disconnected from the animal method.
Try Out Phase: a “Power of imagination” session, in which possible solutions are described as if they exist. Promising ideas are further developed.
Communication Phase: Helpathons end with a festive presentation of results to those involved and interested people from the participants’ network.
Follow-up Phase: One month later, check back with scientist to see if additional help from the network is needed. All participants receive follow-up information on what happened to the ideas they generated.
Results and Conclusion: Quote from scientist: "It is now clearer to us that the use of animals is not always necessary. Thanks to this TPI Helpathon we have gained new insights about existing in vitro and cell culture systems that we can use to test our therapies. These models can give results that may be more relevant to humans than results obtained from laboratory animals."
| Period | 27 Aug 2023 → 31 Aug 2023 |
|---|---|
| Event title | 12th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences (WC12) |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Niagra, CanadaShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |
Keywords
- education
- TPI
- Helpathon