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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

📢 A welcome and important step! NIH is seeking experts in human-based science to review research proposals. This announcement reflects the COLAAB's consistent recommendation that the agency ensure grant reviewers have the methodological expertise needed to fairly assess nonanimal approaches. 🧪

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

⚠️ UPDATE! Since we first shared this opportunity, NIH has launched a dedicated webpage for experts in human-based science to express interest in peer review. Please use this new application link: redcap.nih.gov/surveys/?s=K...

redcap.nih.gov

Human-Based Reviewer Recruitment

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Reposted by Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias

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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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

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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?

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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.

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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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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Animal methods bias often looks like peer reviewer pressure to use animals. But it can also come from supervisors or colleagues, with more damaging career consequences. 🧑‍🔬 From Justify's Portraits from the Lab series. 🧵 🧪 #PhDChat #PhDLife #PhDsky #AnimalMethodsBias

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

📚 Peer review is a gatekeeper of scholarly publishing, but most scientists get no formal training in it, leaving gaps in quality and fairness. 🤔 Why we think you should join this webinar... 🧵 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-scienc... #PeerReview #OpenScience #ScientificPublishing #MetaScience 🧪

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

What is research assessment reform, and what does it have to do with animal experiments? 🔬 Expand this 🧵 to learn why the COLAAB has officially signed onto @dorassessment.bsky.social! ✒ #AnimalMethodsBias #ResearchAssessment #ResearchCulture #AcademicCommunity

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Exciting news‼️ Today, @elsevierconnect.bsky.social's journal Toxicology announced policy changes to help mitigate #AnimalMethodsBias during peer review. The changes are detailed in this piece by Editor-in-Chief Mathieu Vinken: doi.org/10.1016/j.to... Key changes listed below 🧵 ⤵️

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

🐱 The COLAAB member spotlight series continues with @mikalahsinger.bsky.social! 🐱 Mikalah Singer, JD, LLM, is a science policy specialist with @pcrm.org and has been a member of the COLAAB Mitigation Working Group since 2024. She is based in Portland, Oregon. #SciPol

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

The COLAAB member spotlight series continues with: 🥼 Merel Ritskes-Hoitinga, PhD! 🥼 👩‍🏫 Professor in the Department of Population Health Science, Institute for Risk Assessment Toxicology at @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social 🤝 Member of @thecolaab.bsky.social Evidence Working Group since 2024.

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Animal methods bias is showing up in more discussions about the barriers to reducing animal experimentation. In this 🧵, we discuss two recent pieces in @springernature.com's Journal of Translational Medicine. #AnimalMethodsBias #InstitutionalInertia 🧪

Animal methods bias is showing up in more discussions about the barriers to reducing the use of animals

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

This week, our COLAAB member spotlight series features: 💫 Emily Trunnell, PhD! 💫 @ertrunnell.bsky.social is the director of Science Advancement & Outreach, a division of PETA. She has been with the #COLAAB Mitigation Working Group since 2022, and is based in Tennessee, USA. 🧵

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

The COLAAB member spotlight series continues with: 🥼 Francesca Pistollato! 🥼 Francesca Pistollato, PhD, is @humaneworldorg.bsky.social's Senior Program Director, Biomedical Science and has been a member of the #COLAAB Evidence Working Group since 2024. She is based in Treviso, Italy. 🧵 🧪

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Catharine Krebs, PhD is heading to Baltimore for next week’s Summer Immersion, a 4-day training event on #NAMs & their applications. In a session on barriers in animal-free research, she'll speak about #AnimalMethodsBias. Find Dr. Krebs and grab a COLAAB sticker! pcrm.org/SummerImmersion 🧪

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

The COLAAB was busy last week! At #MPS2026, Catharine Krebs & @kathrinherrmann.bsky.social showed how peer review bias for animal experiments slows MPS adoption. At #SSP2026, @mikalahsinger.bsky.social highlighted simple editor actions to curb unfair animal requests. Great to engage the community!

A graphic with the title "Busy Conferencing!" Overlaid on a map of the United States are two photos of women standing in front of conference posters. Stars and arrows show that Mikalah Singer attended the Society for Scholarly Publishing in Chula Vista, CA and Kathrin Herrmann and Catharine Krebs attended the Microphysiological Systems World Summit in Washington D.C.

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

NIH's next Strategic Plan will shape how biomedical research moves forward. One question cannot be ignored: who gets a fair hearing in grant review? The COLAAB submitted a response to NIH’s #RFI on the plan, focusing on #AnimalMethodsBias in grant review as a persistent barrier to progress.

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

We are immensely honored and proud to share that our founding member, Catharine E. Krebs, PhD of @pcrm.org, has received the @replanimalres.bsky.social Changemaker Award. 🥇💫

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

👀 Thoughts on this editorial in @biologists.bsky.social @dmmjournal.bsky.social TL;DR: Non‑animal science is disruptive. But animal experimentation is still often treated as the default, reinforced when peer reviewers treat animal use as a prerequisite for publication or funding. More in the 🧵👇

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

This week’s COLAAB member spotlight features: 🐈 Jessica Kopew, PhD! 🐈 Jessica is a medical research specialist at @pcrm.org and has been a part of @thecolaab.bsky.social Evidence Working Group since 2024. She lives in Washington, DC, with her two tabby cats, Tofu and Beans.

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Member spotlight: 🪄 Ignacio Tripodi, PhD! 🪄 Dr. Tripodi is a Principal Machine Learning Research Scientist at @crisistextline.bsky.social and a Data Science & Natural Language Processing Consultant. He has been part of the COLAAB's Evidence Working Group since April 2022. #DataScientist 🧵

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

🐰 The COLAAB member spotlight series continues with Gabby Vidaurre, PhD! 🐰 Dr. Vidaurre is a research associate with Science Advancement and Outreach. She has been a member of our Mitigation Working Group since 2024, and works from her home in Ashburn, Virginia with her bunny, Cheeky.

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

In March, #CIHR updated its bias learning modules, including information about methodological bias—when peer reviewers favor methodologies that align with their own. 🔗 cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/54645.html A year ago, #NIH did the same. #PeerReview #PeerReviewBias #ResearchPolicy

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

The next COLAAB member in our spotlight series is: 🌟 Ross Dobie! 🌟 Ross Dobie, PhD, is Head of Science at the Centre for Human Specific Research 👉 humanspecificresearch.org Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Ross has been a member of the COLAAB Evidence Working Group since 2025.

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

The COLAAB's @mikalahsinger.bsky.social is traveling to ️☀️ Chula Vista, CA next month for the 📚 @scholarlypub.bsky.social Annual Meeting. She’ll network & present a poster w/ recommendations for editors to help mitigate animal methods bias & ensure fair review of submissions without animal use. 👇

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

First up in our COLAAB member spotlight series: ✨ Catharine E. Krebs, PhD ✨ Catharine does research policy work at the US-based nonprofit @pcrm.org. She is a founding member of both of our working groups, where she enjoys working with collaborators across sectors, disciplines, & global regions.

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Last week, we brought our Evidence & Mitigation Working Groups together to connect efforts to detect #AnimalMethodsBias with those working to prevent it. 🌟 Lots of energizing conversations + new ideas. Soon, we'll be sharing more about the 👥 driving this work with some COLAAB member spotlights!

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Is peer review bias slowing down the adoption of #MicrophysiologicalSystems? If you're attending the 2026 MPS World Summit in Washington, D.C. this May, let's connect! ✈ #AnimalMethodsBias #PeerReview #MPSWorldSummit #MPS #NAMs #organonchips

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Last year, we urged NIH to take concrete steps to address #AnimalMethodsBias in grant review. Here's what we learned from the conversation 🧵 #SciencePolicy #SciPol #PeerReview #GrantReview #ResearchFunding #NAMs #NIH #CSR 🧪

How NIH's Center for Scientific Review is Addressing Animal Methods Bias. CSR uses the ENQUIRE process to continuously evaluate and update study sections. Recent ENQUIRE evaluations have highlighted the need for study sections to cover NAMs. Study section descriptions are being updated, and new study sections are being formed to better fit emerging methods. CSR is actively recruiting reviewers with NAMs expertise. Applicants can initiate CSR’s bias reporting mechanism. All reports are investigated and affected applications are considered for re-review.

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

COLAAB's Catharine Krebs, PhD of @pcrm.org will speak at the 2026 Summer Immersion on Innovative Approaches in Science, a 4-day training event on #NewApproachMethodologies & their many applications in basic, translational, & regulatory science. 🧪 Free & in-person at @johnshopkinssph.bsky.social!

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

March 19–20! Radboud Uni & @unibas.ch are hosting a workshop on the "Transition Beyond Animal Experimentation.” 🗣️ The COLAAB’s Dr. Krebs of @pcrm.org will speak about #AnimalMethodsBias as a barrier to this transition, including the latest evidence & bias mitigation strategies from our group.

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Finding qualified, willing reviewers is becoming increasingly difficult. In this fresh analysis, @carlbergstrom.com & Kevin Gross describe an unsustainable cycle: 🔄 Manuscript submissions ⬆️ 🔄 Review quality & accuracy ⬇️ 🔄 Authors try their luck at reach journals, further flooding the system

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

“For years, it’s always been thought that animals should be the default,” Valerie Speirs told @dianakwon.bsky.social for @nature.com 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/d41... Scientists are frustrated by slow progress & feel that papers & grant applications are still expected to include animal experiments.

nature.com

The age of animal experiments is waning. Where will science go next?

Advances in organ and computer models are raising the prospect that some animal experiments could be eliminated. But there are still huge hurdles to overcome.

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

#PeerReview is meant to be critical, but sometimes it's unprofessional or outright mean. This can be a demoralizing experience for authors. In @nature.com, Katarina Zimmer explored peer-review bullying and what authors can do to avoid and push back on it: www.nature.com/articles/d41... 🧵 👇

nature.com

‘Lipstick on a pig’: how to fight back against a peer-review bully

Scientific societies, journals, editors and researchers are pushing back against mean-spirited peer reviews.

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

Did you miss Dr. Catharine Krebs’ recent webinar about #AnimalMethodsBias? The recording is now online! If you’ve been looking for a comprehensive overview of our work from the last four (‼️) years, this is it! #PeerReview #Bias #PhDChat 🧪

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

💭 Ideas about peer review reforms? We got ‘em! OSTP recently sought input on evidence-based reforms that could improve funding allocation, peer review, & grant evaluation. We used this opportunity to raise awareness about #AnimalMethodsBias & provide recommendations for mitigating it. #SciPol

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Interested in how #PeerReview bias affects the adoption of #NAMs? Join us next week for a webinar where COLAAB member Catharine Krebs, PhD will discuss the nature & impacts of #AnimalMethodsBias & share recommendations for mitigating its effects. 🗓️ Thurs Jan 22 ⌚️ 10 am ET #phdsky #phdchat 🧪

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

2025 was a banner year for the COLAAB! 🚀 From the pages of Nature to the halls of NIH, this year we turned awareness into action, leveling the playing field for researchers using nonanimal methods. Check out our 2025 Wrapped! ⬇️ www.linkedin.com/pulse/colaab...

linkedin.com

COLAAB Wrapped: Our 2025 Highlights

🚀 2025 was a banner year for the Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias (COLAAB)! From the pages of Nature to the halls of NIH, this year we turned awareness into action, leveling the...

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

2026 is almost here! If you’re racing to get your manuscript across the finish line, don’t let reviewer bias against nonanimal methods slow you down. Our Author Guide helps you strengthen your manuscript and avoid #AnimalMethodsBias in manuscript review. 🧪 www.animalmethodsbias.org/author-guide

The popular "woman yelling at dinner cat" meme with the following text: "Animal methods bias is inevitable! Not if you use the COLAAB's author guide"

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

💡 Simple editor interventions can help address reviewer suggestions for animal experiments! ✅ Grab our new new Editor Checklist here: animalmethodsbias.org/resources/ed... 🔎 Learn more about these recommendations: animalmethodsbias.org/projects/edi... Expand this 🧵 for more info 👇 🧪

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

When you were starting your scientific career, did you feel pressured to conduct animal experiments? Or maybe you still do? COLAAB founding member @ertrunnell.bsky.social shares her experience as a PhD student in this blog for @justifyglobal.bsky.social. #phdlife #phdchat #phdsky

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Last week, we offered our assistance to #NIH officials in advancing the agency's goal of reforming grant review to better prioritize human-based research. We also recommended additional steps the agency could take to further mitigate #AnimalMethodsBias in the review process. #grantreview #scipol

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

We were honored to receive @lushprize.bsky.social's Major Science Collaboration prize last year. Excited to see this year's nominees!

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Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

The UK Home Office's new strategy, "Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods," is an important step toward embracing nonanimal methods. We took a look at how it will help mitigate #AnimalMethodsBias. 🧵 #scipub #scipol 🧪

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