Recent Outcomes
STSM at BfR - Report from Eva Jablonská
Short-Term Scientific Mission granted by CA IMPROVE at the Dermatotoxicology Study Centre, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Berlin, Germany
Career Development Workshop Series 2024 Kick-off Event
On March 1 at 13:00 CET, the Career Development Workshop Series 2024 kick-off event, organized by the Young Researchers and Innovators Committee in collaboration with the Mentorship committee from COST Action IMPROVE, took place.
The “Big Three” in biocompatibility testing of medical devices: implementation of alternatives to animal experimentation—are we there yet?
Publication from Helena Kanďárová and Peter Pôbiš
Dissemination of COST Action IMPROVE at the Austrian 3Rs days in Innsbruck, Austria
Thanks to a dissemination conference grant, Sophie Schober was able to attend the 3Rdays 2023 InN Motion in Innsbruck (Austria) from December 5-7th 2023.
COST Action IMPROVE at the Austrian 3Rs Days
W. Neuhaus promoted the COST Action IMPROVE by giving the invited talk "The COST Action Networking Activity IMPROVE" at the Austrian 3Rs Days in Innsbruck, Austria on 6.12.2023
COST Action IMPROVE at the 36th meeting of JSAAE in Chiba, Japan
W. Neuhaus was invited to the 36th Congress of the Japanese Society for Alternatives to Animal Experimentation (JSAAE) from 27-29 November 2023 in Chiba and gave an overview of the European 3R landscape in a presentation "The rise of European 3Rs centres, their network EU3Rnet, and the COST Action Networking Activity IMPROVE", in which he took a closer look at the activities of EUSAAT (European Society for Alternatives to Animal Testing), EU3Rnet (network of European 3R centres) and COST Action IMPROVE. During the congress with 650 participants, there was an intensive exchange on the legal framework and structural international differences between Europe and Asia, especially with representatives of the Japanese, Korean and Indian societies.
Updates of the EU3Rnet and COST Action IMPROVE
Talk of W. Neuhaus at the Meeting of Member State National Contact Points for the Implementation of Directive 2010/63/EU, European Commission, 10.11.2023
Dissemination of COST Action IMPROVE at the Workshop "Interdisciplinary perspectives on Cultures of Changes around Non-Animal Methods (NAMs) in the Biomedical Sciences" at the University of Exeter, UK
Anna Olsson participated at the workshop "Interdisciplinary perspectives on Cultures of Changes around Non-Animal Methods (NAMs) in the Biomedical Sciences" at University of Exeter, UK, on 20 October 2023, where she gave the lecture "Reasoning about Replacement: Why we need sandboxes, not battlefields" and promoted the COST Action IMPROVE highlighting that the CA IMPROVE would need more social science and humanities scholars in the WG4 Education.
Update on COST Action IMPROVE at EPAA
An update about the COST Action IMPROVE was given by W. Neuhaus at the EPAA (European Partnership of Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing) Joint Steering Committee & Mirror Group meeting on 12.10.2023.
German "Bundesnetzwerk 3R" Meeting in Berlin
W. Neuhaus represented COST Action IMPROVE, EU3Rnet and EUSAAT during the panel discussion at the beginning of the first in-person meeting of the German "Bundesnetzwerk 3R" Meeting organized by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) at the EURAF-Campus in Berlin with several workshops and master classes from 5.-6.10.2023. In addition, several members of the COST Action IMPROVE participated at this event.
COST Action IMPROVE - Training School about Dissemination in Milan, Italy
The first large Training school with a focus on Dissemination took place in Milan (Italy) with expert trainers and trainees from 13th-15th of September 2023.
Dissemination of COST Action IMPROVE at the WC12, Niagara Falls, Canada
Arti Ahluwalia and Winfried Neuhaus were supported by dissemination conference grants to participate at the 12th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences in Niagara Falls, Canada, from August 27-31, 2023, and promoted the COST Action IMPROVE by giving three lectures.
The Current Status and Work of Three Rs Centres and Platforms in Europe
Neuhaus et al. describe and summarize the current status and activities of 3R centres in Europe
Talk at University Dundee about "Micro- and nanoengineered technologies for bio-applications" also introducing the COST Action IMPROVE
Dr. Maria Kitsara gave a talk about "Micro- and nanoengineered technologies for bio-applications: focus on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine" at the School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK on 9. August 2023. Emphasis was devoted to cardiac disease modelling and regenerative medicine using polymeric materials.
IMPROVE - Working group meeting WG 1-4
Meeting of all four working groups in Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina. Organized by members of the COST Action of the Verlab Institute. Hybrid meeting with about 80 participants.
Introduction of the COST Action IMPROVE at the EPAA
The COST Action IMPROVE was introduced by W. Neuhaus at the EPAA (European Partnership of Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing) Joint Steering Committee & Mirror Group meeting on 7.6.2023.
ITC Conference Grant
One ITC grant was successfully granted to YRI Diana Lopes from Portugal to attend the SupraLife First School at the University of Aveiro, Portugal from 19.-24.3.2023. She presented her work entitled "Aquatic Gastropoda mucus: an underexplored source of novel biocompounds".
Introduction of the COST Action IMPROVE and EU3Rnet
Invited presentation of W. Neuhaus at the 9. Sitzung der Tierversuchskommission des Bundes gemäß §35 TVG2012 at the Federal Ministry of the Republic of Austria for Education, Science and Research, 13.12.2022
European 3Rs network: connect and support scientists
Presentation of W.Neuhaus at the 6R-Roundtable - 8th Panel-Discussion – the first R: Replacement: Alternatives to animal testing – what can we achieve together? c/o Berliner Kompaktkurse, 30.11.2022.
Introduction of the COST Action IMPROVE
Talk of W. Neuhaus at the Meeting of Member State National Contact Points for the Implementation of Directive 2010/63/EU, European Commission, 10.11.2022