Michael Balls, University of Nottingham

For over 45 years, Prof. Michael Balls has been a leading figure in worldwide efforts to implement the concepts proposed by Russell and Burch. As Chairman of the Trustees of the Fund for Replacement of Animal in Medical Experimentation (FRAME), he helped establish at University of Nottingham one of the first university-based laboratories dedicated to finding valid in vitro methods to replace animal tests. He also assisted in the passage of the UK’s Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act in 1986, and served as a founding member of the resulting Animal Procedures Committee. In 1993, he was chosen by the EU to set up and lead a newly established entity, the European Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM). He is currently the Life President of Replacing Animal Research (FRAME’s renamed organization).

Alan Goldberg, CAAT (Retired)
(1939-2026)

Dr. Alan Goldberg was the Founding Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal testing (CAAT). His interests in humane science, the use of animal alternatives and the 3Rs in biomedical sciences, toxicology, and risk assessment led to CAAT’s expansive areas of research and partnerships with industry and regulatory agencies to incorporate the latest technologies and the most humane science in product safety decision-making. Dr. Goldberg authored over 100 scientific articles and was the editor of more than 15 books. He was the first recipient of the Russell and Burch Award of the Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States).

Herman Koëter
(1947-2025)

The advancement of the 3Rs has been a common thread throughout Herman’s long scientific career. From the development of the Chicken Eye Test at TNO, to the validation of alternative methods at OECD, to the promotion of regulatory use of alternatives at EFSA, and finally to his role as Chair of NCAD, Herman has made sustained and influential contributions to the field. In every position he held, and from his early involvement with the World Congresses, he was also deeply committed to informing, inspiring, and engaging young scientists from all backgrounds in the principles and practice of the 3Rs.

Claus-Michael Lehr, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Saarland University

Claus-Michael Lehr has been a pioneer in the field since he started his lab at Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany in 1995. His research was focused on Drug Delivery across Biological Barriers to develop human cell- and tissue models for safety and efficacy testing of new drugs and carrier systems as alternatives testing in animals. After co-founding the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) in 2009, his department aimed its research on infectious diseases with emphasis on the body’s major epithelial barriers: lung, gut, and skin. In addition to his impact in the research field, he has also had a major impact in the education of future 3Rs researchers. Of his 90+ PhD students, more than twenty have tenured academic positions.

Manfred Liebsch
(1947-2025)

Manfred was the former head of ZEBET at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), and a tireless advocate for the development and regulatory acceptance of alternatives to animal testing. He dedicated over three decades to advancing the 3Rs, and his work at ZEBET contributed to numerous national and international validation efforts. He received the 2005 Doerenkamp-Zbinden Prize in recognition of his leadership which helped pave the way for the first OECD Test Guidelines based entirely on non-animal methods. In 2011, he was also honored with the International Recognition Award given by CAAT at the 8th World Congress in Montreal.

Walter Pfaller
(1945-2025)

Walter devoted more than four decades of his life to advancing biomedical sciences while promoting the principles of the 3Rs. He was internationally recognized for his work on in vitro systems of kidney, liver, and lung physiology, and was among the first to develop organotypic cell culture models that allowed mechanistic insights into toxic cell injury, long before the term “organ-on-chip” had been coined. Two landmark contributions that emerged under his leadership were the development of Good Cell Culture Practice and the systematic cataloging of serum-free media. From 1996-2009, he served as Scientific Leader of the Austrian platform zet and was also a member of the ECVAM Scientific Advisory Committee and later a board member of CAAT-Europe.

Andrew Rowan, President, WellBeing International

Dr. Andrew Rowan has more than four decades of experience in animal welfare science and animal and environmental advocacy. He has served on many government and corporate consultative committees, numerous boards of national and international NGOs, and most recently as the CEO of Humane Society International (HSI) and Board Chair of the Humane World for Animals Wildlife Land Trust. During his time at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, he established the Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy, launched an academic journal on human-animal relations, and was Chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences. Dr. Rowan has authored or co-authored numerous books and over one hundred academic papers on animal research and alternatives. He has received numerous recognitions and awards for his work, including the Rhodes Scholarship.

Horst Spielmann, Freie Universität Berlin

Prof. Horst Spielmann, former President and an Honorary Member of the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro (ESTIV), is internationally known for his long-standing contribution to the development and validation of alternative methods in regulatory toxicology. He served as Head of the Department of Scientific Services and of ZEBET from 1989-2007, and played a key role in the ECVAM validation study on the use of human skin models for skin irritation testing. He has received many international awards and published more than 220 peer-reviewed scientific papers. In recognition of the many activities that he has undertaken during his career, he is an Honorary Member of the JSAAE and an Honorary Member of the Society for Dermopharmacy.

Gilman Veith
(1944-2013)

Gilman was a pioneer providing the basis for the more informative and efficient testing approaches in use today, developing and envisioning the application of alternative methods, especially QSAR and AOPs to the assessment of industrial chemicals. Through Dr. Veith’s accomplishments, the use of alternative approaches in toxicity testing and risk assessment first began to be implemented as early as the 1970s. Notably, his leadership provided the scientific and regulatory framework for developing and applying in vitro and in silico techniques in what is now coined as 21st Century Toxicology. He knew the importance of showing that new approaches to testing were as good, and preferably better, than the traditional animal testing approaches.

Rodger Curren, CEO, Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS)

Dr. Curren received his B.S. from Purdue University, an M.S. from Ohio University, and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University. He co-founded the non-profit Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS) in 1997. IIVS has provided educational and laboratory-based resources to organizations around the world. Dr. Curren has served on many committees and science advisory boards, including the Science Advisory Committee for the European Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods, and the Scientific Advisory Board for ICCVAM and NICEATM. Dr. Curren has earned multiple honors, including the Russell and Burch Award, the Bjorn Ekwall Memorial award, the FRAME annual lectureship, and the William and Eleanor Cave award.

Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Senior Science Advisor for Toxicology, FDA

Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Ph.D. is a Senior Science Advisor for Toxicology in FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.  A board-certified toxicologist in the U.S. and in Europe, Dr. Fitzpatrick is the FDA lead for the federal collaboration among FDA, EPA, and NIH, Toxicology Testing in the 21st Century (Tox 21), which looks to develop alternatives to animal testing as well as chair of the FDA Predictive Toxicology Roadmap Committee. Dr. Fitzpatrick played a pivotal role in helping launch the organs-on-a-chip tool, a revolutionary testing technology being evaluated by FDA.  She is also an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University, the FDA representative to the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing Board, and past president of the American College of Toxicology and of the Nation’s Capital Chapter of the Society of Toxicology.  Dr. Fitzpatrick received her B.A. from the University of California at San Diego and her Ph.D. from Georgetown University.

John R. “Jack” Fowle III, Principal of Science, Inform, LLC

Dr. John R. “Jack” Fowle III received his baccalaureate and doctoral degrees in genetics from George Washington University. He is a board-certified toxicologist. He served in a variety of positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), most recently as Deputy Director of the Health Effects Division in the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP). Since retiring from the EPA, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute of In Vitro Sciences, is Past President of the Board of Trustees for the Evidence Based Toxicology Collaboration (EBTC) and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternative Animal Testing (CAAT), both at Johns Hopkins. He is a Fellow of the Society for Risk Analysis and the recipient of the Society’s 2022 Distinguished Achievement Award.

Daniel Krewski, Professor Emeritus, University of Ottowa

Dr. Krewski currently serves as Professor Emeritus in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.  From 2001–2023, he was Scientific Director of the McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment at uOttawa.  Previously, he held a number of senior positions in Health Canada, including Director, Risk Management in the former Health Protection Branch.  Dr. Krewski has served on a number of national and international committees focusing on advancing public health, including chairing the National Academy of Sciences committee that published the influential report on Toxicity Testing in the 21^st Century in 2007.

Jacob Larson, Senior Research Scientist, Herbalife

Jacob Larson has been working in toxicology for over 20 years. He received his Masters degree in toxicology from University of Michigan and is certified by the American Board of Toxicology. He currently works as a Senior Research Scientist for Herbalife. In addition to CAAT, he is a member of the Society of Toxicology and is on the steering committee for the Botanical Safety Consortium.

Sue Leary, President Emerita and CEO, Alternatives Research & Development Foundation (ARDF)

Sue A. Leary has a B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Nonprofit Management. Her career has focused on coordination of programs and services; education and advocacy; administration and planning; and membership development in nonprofit organizations. From 1995 – 2025, she served as President of ARDF and its affiliate, American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS). She has served on a number of boards, including the Advisory Board of CAAT. From 2020 – 2024, she was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods regarding activities of the Interagency Coordinating Committee for the Validation of Alternative Methods.

Vasiliki Machairaki, Associate Professor, Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Dr. Vasiliki Machairaki is an Associate Professor in the Department of Genetic Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Crete and the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), followed by postdoctoral training in neurodegenerative disease modeling at Johns Hopkins University. Her research centers on human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technologies and 3D brain organoid systems to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular focus on Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In addition to her research, Dr. Machairaki is a member of the Johns Hopkins Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease, where she contributes to the development of personalized stem cell models for defining molecular subtypes of AD.

Kathryn Page, Product Safety Toxicologist, The Clorox Company

Kathryn Page is a highly experienced toxicologist specializing in product safety and global stewardship, currently serving as a Principal Scientist at The Clorox Company since January 2015. Previous roles at The Clorox Company include Senior Scientist and Scientist II, focusing on toxicological assessments. Prior to this, Kathryn held a PostDoc position at UC Berkeley, where responsibilities included leading a multi-institutional NIH grant related to iron metabolism and conducting extensive laboratory management tasks. Kathryn’s academic background includes a PhD in Adaptive Biosciences from The University of Manchester and a BSc Hons in Genetics from Newcastle University. Additional research experience includes investigating aluminum toxicity and metal homeostasis in Caenorhabditis elegans at the Buck Institute for Age Research.

Bernard Robaire, Professor, McGill University

Bernard Robaire obtained his B.A from UCLA and his Ph.D. from McGill University. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, he returned to McGill to take up a joint appointment in the Departments of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and of Obstetrics & Gynaecology where he is currently Distinguished James McGill Professor.  Dr. Robaire’s research interests focus on effects of endocrine disruptors on the reproductive system, aging of the male reproductive system, male-mediated reproductive toxicology, and the structure, function, and regulation of the epididymis. This research activity has resulted in over 250 journal articles, 70 book chapters, and editing/co-editing of 10 books. He conceived and is Editor of the Handbook of Andrology.

Andrew Rowan, President, WellBeing International

Andrew Rowan (DPhil) has spent 48 years of animal welfare science & environmental advocacy. He served on government/corporate consultative committees & on national & international NGO Boards. He was the CEO of Humane Society International (1998-2017) & Board Chair of the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust. He was a Professor at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine where he set up the Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy (1983), launched a journal on human-animal relations (Anthrozoos, 1987-97), launched the first Masters’ degree on animals & public policy (1995), & Chaired the Department of Environmental Sciences (1993-97). He has authored or edited several books & over one hundred academic papers on animal research & alternatives, on companion animal demographics & management, on wildlife management, & on human-animal interactions. He was a Rhodes Scholar (1968-1971).

Nikaeta Sadekar, Respiratory Toxicologist, Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, Inc. (RIFM)

Dr. Nikaeta Sadekar serves as Principal Scientist at the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM), where she leads the Local Respiratory Toxicity Safety Assessment endpoint and directs its research program. Her work involves extensive collaboration with academic institutions, governmental agencies, and industry stakeholders to develop and advance the science of respiratory safety. Dr. Sadekar’s expertise includes the management of research programs focused on the development of respiratory New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and the conduct of human health risk assessments. She is also actively engaged in the communication of scientific findings to diverse audiences.

Sonja von Aulock, Editor-in-Chief, ALTEX – Alternatives to Animal Experiments

Sonja von Aulock is editor-in-chief of the scientific journal ALTEX – Alternatives to Animal Experiments (www.altex.org) and its sister journal ALTEX Proceedings (https://proceedings.altex.org/) since 2011 as well as CEO of the Swiss not-for-profit society ALTEX Edition, which publishes both journals, since 2018. She studied biology at the University of Konstanz, obtained her PhD in biochemical pharmacology, and led a junior research group on microbial profiling before joining ALTEX Edition. She is on the board of Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) and (CAAT)-Europe.

Camila Sgrignoli Januario, Senior Program Manager, Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT)

Camila Sgrignoli Januario, has a B.A in Political Science and a master’s in Public Administration. Her work focus on strategic planning, program development, and cross-cultural collaboration, developing socio and educational programs, managing boards, and organizing major events such as the MPS World Summits and the Exposome Moonshot Forum.

Danilo Tagle, Director, NCATS/NIH

Member Emeritus

Danilo Tagle is the former Director, Office of Special Initiatives at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he led efforts in developing innovative tools and technologies that can greatly accelerate development of diagnostics and therapeutics. He currently serves on the Biological and Physical Sciences Federal Advisory Committee, the White House OSTP Microgravity Science and Technology Interagency Working Group, and serves as the point-of-contact for the liaison to the NASA/NIH/Department of Health and Human Services partnership. Dan obtained his PhD and MS in molecular biology and genetics from Wayne State University School of Medicine. He was an NIH National Research Service Award postdoctoral fellow in human genetics at the University of Michigan. Dan has authored many scientific publications and has garnered numerous awards.