Latest Animal Research Report launched at annual 3Rs community meeting.

The new report highlights Imperial’s continued commitment to replacing, reducing and refining (3Rs) the use of animals in research.

Imperial College London has launched its latest Animal Research Report at the annual Animal Research Forum, bringing together researchers and staff from across the animal research and 3Rs community.  

Established in 2014, the Forum marks the University long standing commitment to excellence in animal welfare and the principles of the ‘3Rs’. This year forum took place on Thursday 29 January at the Hammersmith Campus.  

Opening the event on behalf of Professor Mary Ryan, current Establishment Licence Holder and Vice Provost for Research and Enterprise, Professor Marina Botto, Head of the Department of Immunology and Inflammation and Director of Bioservices, said “It’s a pleasure to come together again with so many colleagues who are actively thinking about how we can improve our research,” she said. "The latest Animal Research Report is an example of the Imperial excellence and first-class research in pursuance of the 3Rs.”   

The programme included presentations from winners of the 2025 Provost’s Award for Excellences in Animal Research, alongside a poster session showcasing work-in-progress from 3Rs PhD students Network and Central Biomedical Services (CBS) Staff.  

Showcasing excellence in 3Rs  

Among the award recipients, Mr Sam Reitemeier, presented the work of Professor Cesare Terraciano’s team, which has fully replaced the use of animal models in their heart failure research. Their innovative human tissue program, awarded the Provost’s Prize in the researcher's category, aligns closely with the Imperial 3Rs Hub’s work to improve tissue sharing systems and expand the use of replacement models across the University. 

While Imperial is committed to replacing and reducing animal use wherever possible, animal models remain essential in some area of research to understand disease’s mechanisms and develop new treatments. Dr Yu Liu presented the winning team award, highlighting the CBS high standards of animal welfare and refinement technologies available at Imperial Animal Units. 

The Provost’s Awards recognise outstanding contributions to advancing the University’s ambition to be best in class for animal research and form part of Imperial’s commitment under the Concordat on Openness in Animal Research. Applications for the 2026 edition are now open. Details are available on the Imperial animal research webpage.  

Mouse and Human models working together. 

The forum concluded with the James Stirling Memorial Lecture, delivered by Professor Clare Lloyd, leading Professor of Respiratory Immunology and Vice-Dean (People & Culture/Institutional Affairs) in the Faculty of Medicine. The lecture honours Professor Stirling, a distinguished physicist who served as Imperial’s Provost from 2013 to 2018 and the Establishment Licence Holder for animal research, championing openness and high standards in this area.  

Professor Lloyd presented a decade of research from her team exploring the complexities of lung immunity, focusing on how environmental factors contribute to asthma and other respiratory diseases. Her lecture highlighted the continued importance of animal models in understanding disease mechanisms, alongside efforts to develop more clinically relevant and translational research systems.