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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D.

@ertrunnell.bsky.social
1.3K followers 975 following 1.9K posts

neuroscientist 🧠 | Director @ www.scienceadvancement.org (SAO) | Moving U.S. biomedical research toward humans & away from other animals 🐀 | she/her/hers

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Reposted by Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D.
Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
And check out @brandonkeim.bsky.social's full piece in @spectrum.ieee.org ⬇️ spectrum.ieee.org/alternatives...
spectrum.ieee.org
Can New Technologies Finally Replace Animal Testing?
Changing habits may be the hardest engineering challenge of all
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Reposted by Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D.
Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Have you ever had a peer review go poorly because you didn’t include animal experiments? Even the organ chip pioneer himself has. Despite the increasing momentum of nonanimal approaches, animal use is still deeply engrained—in regulatory guidance, in funding strategies, and in scientific culture.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Don't miss these two ORIVA workshops in October! Alternative Methodologies in Pharmaceutical Development 🔗 ntp.niehs.nih.gov/whatwestudy/... Recent Developments in Human-Based Models 🔗 ntp.niehs.nih.gov/whatwestudy/... ⌛ Register for in-person by Oct 13. 🖥️ Virtual registration is open too!
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
For additional background, read SAO's examination of current USDA reporting practices, by @katibertrand.bsky.social www.scienceadvancement.org/reflections/...
scienceadvancement.org
Unseen Suffering: A Critical Examination of USDA Reporting on Animals in Laboratories - Science Advancement and Outreach Division
Millions of animals are used in U.S. laboratories every year, but fewer than 1% are covered under the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Anima...
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
OLAW is seeking input on annual reporting of vertebrate species covered by the PHS Policy but currently excluded from USDA annual reporting requirements (which as a reminder is 95-99% of the animals used). 📍 Stay tuned for more guidance on responding to this RFI, including key points to make.
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Reposted by Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D.
pharmalot.bsky.social @pharmalot.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
HHS unveils new initiatives to reduce animal testing in drug development.. statnews.com/pharmalot/20... #pharma #biotech #FDA #HHS #NIH #animals #drugdevelopment #medicines
statnews.com
HHS unveils new initiatives to reduce animal testing in drug development
For the second time this year, HHS announced new strategies to speed the away from animals in medical testing.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
See the full release from NIH here: www.nih.gov/news-events/...
nih.gov
NIH makes major investments to advance human-based research infrastructure and technologies
Projects spanning the nation will accelerate scientific discovery, reduce reliance on animals.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Additional initiatives include expanded infrastructure for non-animal methods, integrated multi-method laboratories, and investments in technologies designed to generate human-relevant data.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
NIH also announced plans to implement recommendations from @thecolaab.bsky.social, including efforts to bring greater human-based science expertise into grant review.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
One is NIH's commitment to track animal use in funded research. Without comprehensive data, progress cannot be measured & accountability cannot be evaluated. OLAW's role in this is 🥴 given its longstanding focus on administrative burden and its record of oversight failures is questionable.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
It was a big week for the movement for human-based science! 👏🎉 NIH & HHS unveiled new initiatives that expand investment in human-based science while addressing animal use across the biomedical research enterprise. Scroll down for key developments.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
...Evolution has shaped the physiology of each species so uniquely that it is hardly worth trying to predict how new drugs could affect individual species." Ain't it the truth www.helsinki.fi/en/news/anim...
helsinki.fi
Every animal, even the smallest rodent, deserves safe anaesthesia | University of Helsinki
Every year, more than a hundred million rodents are used in biomedical research. A discovery made at the University of Helsinki may not only change how many of these laboratory animals are anaesthetis...
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
"The same pharmaceutical agent can primarily boost circulation in dogs, alleviate constipation in horses and, in rodents, prevent the bulging of the eyes out of the sockets...
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Reposted by Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D.
Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This #PeerReviewWeek, we’re reminding you about the important role you play in preventing peer review bias, just by saying yes to review opportunities. 🧵 #peerreview #academicsky #phdsky
Yellow textured slide featuring a stylized hand illustration with a dotted pattern. Large text reads, “Say YES to review opportunities.” Smaller text reads, “public service announcement.” The COLAAB logo appears in the bottom-right corner, with the words “Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias.”
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This is mostly discussing experiments on mice. Are we ignoring the decades of murine sepsis experiments that have failed to translate - and the many criticisms of them in the scientific literature? On the other hand, the UCSD research mentioned at the end seems promising AND effective.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Read the article in NAM Journal: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The transition away from experiments on animals to human-based science won't be achieved by just focusing on technology development and replacing one model with another. Its success requires redesigning and repurposes the structures that keep outdated practices afloat.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
🚨 Important paper alert! How do you transition an animal facility into a non-animal method lab? In this new paper, Clive Roper and Michael Coleman present what might be the first practical framework for doing this.
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Reposted by Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D.
Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
📄 Has a reviewer ever told you to add an animal experiment to your study? 🐁 Has an advisor told you that you have to use animals to advance your career? 💸 Has a grant application of yours been rejected because it didn’t involve animals?
Slide titled “SHARE YOUR STORY.” Below, the text reads, “Has your research been unfairly evaluated because it didn’t include animals?” On the left, a person wearing a blue glove pipettes media into a dish. The COLAAB logo appears in the upper-right corner with the tagline “Coalition to illuminate and address animal methods.”
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
💡 @fda.gov should establish a similar pathway. The U.S. is a global leader in #biotech. Making data from these methods easier to share could help connect discoveries from academic labs with medicine developers and strengthen the scientific foundation of #drugdiscovery.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The new pilot creates a pathway for scientific dialogue. Researchers can share human-based evidence, receive feedback, and contribute to the knowledge base that shapes medical advancement. More on the @ema.europa.eu pilot: www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/volu...
ema.europa.eu
Voluntary data submission pilot to advance innovative alternatives to animal testing | European Medicines Agency (EMA)
Developers can submit New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) data and receive tailored feedback.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Why does this matter? Much of the data generated with non-animal methods never reaches the people responsible for evaluating evidence used in drug development. That limits opportunities to assess these approaches, understand their strengths, and build experience with their capabilities.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
In the voluntary data submission (VDS) pilot, academic labs, method developers, CROs, and companies can now voluntarily submit data from non-animal methods outside a marketing authorization application. That includes data from technologies like organoids, organs-on-chips, and computational models.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
For years, researchers developing non-animal methods could generate human-based data, publish it, and use it internally, but there was no clear pathway to share that evidence unless it was tied to a drug approval application. @ema.europa.eu's new pilot program is changing that. 🧵
A graphic with a laboratory photograph on the left showing people working at computers. Circular decorative graphics appear in the upper-right and lower-left corners, and the SAO icon appears in the lower-right. The slide text reads: “Non-animal methods news. Academics, method developers, and others can now share non-animal method data with the European Medicines Agency independent of drug marketing applications. Until now, non-animal method data rarely reached regulators, limiting opportunities for them to build confidence in the technologies. Learn more at ema.europa.eu/en/news.”
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Reposted by Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D.
Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
📢 NIH is seeking reviewers for human-based science grant proposals! The U.S. National Institutes of Health is seeking scientists with expertise in human-based research approaches who may be interested in serving as grant reviewers and contributing to the NIH peer review process.
Graphic with a bold headline, “ATTENTION NAMs RESEARCHERS!” and “NIH is seeking reviewers with your expertise.” It asks researchers to send a CV or biosketch, description of research approach expertise, previous NIH review experience, relevant study sections, and ORCID to elizabeth.baker2@nih.gov and ricardo.scheufentieghi@nih.gov. The design uses yellow lightning bolts, a megaphone, a magnifying glass, stars, and the CoLAB logo to emphasize the call for NIH reviewers.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
“Animal models have only ever been a surrogate for the species whose biology we are actually trying to understand and improve ... there’s a really massive translational gap between existing preclinical models and clinical success.” - Nicole Kleinstreuer Nice piece by @jenabbasi.bsky.social!
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
This study was supported by the Beatrice and Samuel A. Seaver Foundation, @bbrfoundation.bsky.social, @outtoinnovate.bsky.social, and grants from NIH. Read more: www.mountsinai.org/about/newsro... #maternalmentalhealth #humanbasedresearch
mountsinai.org
Mount Sinai Researchers Uncover a Substantial Genetic Component to Postpartum Psychosis, Advancing Understanding of Severe Maternal Mental Illness
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Congrats to the authors, including @madisoncaballero.bsky.social, from @sinaigenetics.bsky.social, @aihealthmountsinai.bsky.social, @sinaibrain.bsky.social, @sdu.dk, @erasmusmc.bsky.social, & @ki.se. In @nature.com Molecular Psychiatry: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Genetic architecture of postpartum psychosis: from common to rare genetic variation - Molecular Psychiatry
Molecular Psychiatry - Genetic architecture of postpartum psychosis: from common to rare genetic variation
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Some of our most important discoveries may already be hiding in existing datasets. By responsibly mining large, diverse #biobanks and linked health records, investigators can uncover genetic markers, shared biological pathways, and new hypotheses that would otherwise remain out of reach.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
They also found genetic overlap between postpartum psychosis and conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and several autoimmune diseases. Postpartum psychosis is a relatively rare condition, making recruitment and data collection especially challenging. #Psychiatry #ClinPsych
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Using Swedish national registry data & genomic data from NIH's All of Us Research Program, Seulgi Jung et al. investigated the genetic architecture of postpartum psychosis. They examined >240k All of Us participants & validated findings in 59k individual samples in Mount Sinai's BioMe Biobank.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
What hidden discoveries are waiting in biobanks? A study published in May provided strong genetic evidence for #PostpartumPsychosis. Using population-scale human datasets, researchers at Mount Sinai estimated that genetic factors account for roughly half of the risk.
Screenshot: Published: 14 May 2026; Genetic architecture of postpartum psychosis: from common to rare genetic variation
Seulgi Jung, Madison Caballero, Adrianna Kępińska, Shelby Smout, Trine Munk-Olsen, Thalia K. Robakis, Veerle Bergink & Behrang Mahjani 
Molecular Psychiatry (2026); 6730 Accesses; 56 Altmetric
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
*Highlighted Topics are not official funding opportunities. They represent the agency's research priority areas. For official NOFOs, visit grants.gov.
grants.gov
Home | Grants.gov
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
NIH has added new Highlighted Topics* that include opportunities to address fundamental questions in human health using human-relevant, non-animal approaches, datasets, and technologies. grants.nih.gov/funding/find... #NIH #BiomedicalResearch #NIHFunding #Grant #NAMs
Graphic announcing “new nih highlighted topics for human-based methods.” It lists: “Research on the role of post-translational modifications in human health and disease”; “Advance the understanding of mechanisms regulating sex differences in response to exercise”; “Immune mechanisms for disease prevention”; “Environmental contributors to infertility”; and “Building health through multidomain resilience research from molecules to communities: mechanisms, measures, and biomarkers.” The graphic directs viewers to “find more at grants.nih.gov/funding/find-a-fit-for-your-research/highlighted-topics”.
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Reposted by Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D.
Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
In @sciencepolitics.bsky.social, @jpflores.rbind.io & Hannah Frank discuss how an overemphasis of journal prestige in research assessment "shapes what science gets done, how fast it moves, and whose work gets seen." One consequence: #AnimalMethodsBias sciencepolitics.org/2026/08/17/s... 🧵
sciencepolitics.org
Science Doesn't Need Better Journals. It Needs Better Incentives. - Science Politics
Journal prestige shapes what science gets done, how fast it moves, and whose work gets seen. Pushing institutions to engage in open science can make the system more equitable.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
This human-relevant model provides a system for studying placental pathophysiology and disorders of pregnancy, as well as developing and screening new therapeutics. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #ObGynsky #Reprosky #bioprinting
nature.com
Recapitulating gestational progression: a high-throughput 3D bioprinted vascularized human placenta demonstrating stage-specific molecular and functional signatures of human pregnancy - Scientific Rep...
Scientific Reports - Recapitulating gestational progression: a high-throughput 3D bioprinted vascularized human placenta demonstrating stage-specific molecular and functional signatures of human...
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
NCATS and @utmbhealth.bsky.social scientists developed a 3D bioprinted human placenta barrier tissue model that recapitulates the “architecture and function of early- and late-stage human placenta, including barrier function, nutrient uptake, transporters activity and hormones secretion.”
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Read @nicodmueller.bsky.social's “No transition without participation: Why moving beyond animal studies requires public input into the research agenda” in @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org. www.cambridge.org/core/journal... This work was supported by @nrp79-3r.bsky.social. #scipol #publicpolicy
cambridge.org
No transition without participation: Why moving beyond animal studies requires public input into the research agenda | Politics and the Life Sciences | Cambridge Core
No transition without participation: Why moving beyond animal studies requires public input into the research agenda
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Müller's conclusion is straightforward: reducing the use of animals requires greater public participation in setting research priorities. Public input should help determine how research funding is allocated and whether it reflects societal values.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
The paper also explains why decades of investment in the #3Rs have failed to reduce overall animal use. More on the failure of the 3Rs here: www.scienceadvancement.org/reflections/...
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Müller calls this “laissez-faire communitarianism," the belief that "The state should leave the direction of research (what problems are being investigated and how) to the scientific community."
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
In a new paper, @nicodmueller.bsky.social argues that a core feature of modern #sciencepolicy stands in the way of reducing the use of animals in experimentation. Governments fund research and set ethical boundaries, but scientists largely decide which questions receive funding and attention.
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Reposted by Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D.
Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Scientific impact should be measured by rigor, transparency, and translatability. Last week, the COLAAB submitted comments to NIH's RFI on Measuring and Rewarding Scientific Impact. See what we recommended ⬇️ #SciencePolicy #PeerReview #ResearchAssessment #ScientificImpact #AnimalMethodsBias
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
📅 Wednesday, September 23 ⌚ 7:00 pm 📽️ Village East by Angelika, NYC 📌 RSVP here: forms.gle/iVKvLoNHxKsn...
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
📅 Friday, September 11 ⌚ 6:00 pm 📽️ Spectrum 8 Theatres, Albany 📌 RSVP here: www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket... 🗨️ Q&A with Steven Latham, @melaniedgkaplan.bsky.social, Meredith Blanchard, Robert Hollocher, and me 🙋‍♀️!
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
📣 New York! Next month there will be 2️⃣ opportunities to watch The New Gold Standard in theaters! I'll be joining the Albany screening virtually for the Q&A. Details and RSVP links in the 🧵 #animaltesting #animalresearch #NAMs
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Featuring @drgjmurphy.bsky.social, @markrcookson.bsky.social, @jennyhsieh1.bsky.social, and more. More info here: www.nia.nih.gov/research/dn/...
nia.nih.gov
Novel Alternative Methods (NAMs) in Basic Mechanisms of Brain Aging and AD/ADRD
NIA will host a workshop about how novel alternative methods (NAMs) can advance research on age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
How are non-animal methods helping advance research on brain aging, #Alzheimers, and related dementias? Join this #NIA virtual workshop to learn more! 📅 Sept 10-11 🕚 1:00–3:30 ET Register here: nih.zoomgov.com/webinar/regi... #alz #EndAlz #neuroskyence 🧪
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Register here: scgcorp.com/namsforhiv20... #HIVsky #virosky #IDsky
scgcorp.com
Minisymposium Series on New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for Preclinical HIV Research
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Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
HIV researchers 🚨 Which human-based platforms will inform the next generation of #HIV science? Join this NIH Mini-Symposium Series to discuss non-animal preclinical advances, immune modeling, validation pathways, & more. Featuring @blishlab.bsky.social, @pompanolab.bsky.social, & more.
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