AIT expert Winfried Neuhaus advisory member of EU Partnership for the promotion of non-animal methods

The European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA) has set itself the task of replacing animal experiments with new innovative methods and optimizing existing procedures in order to reduce animal experiments. The partners are committed to the development, validation and acceptance of alternative approaches at national, european and global level. Five Directorates General of the European Commission, 38 companies and eight European industry associations have joined forces for this purpose. Now, AIT expert Prof. Dr. Winfried Neuhaus, Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics of the AIT Center for Health and Bioresources, is strengthening the EPAA's work as a member of the advisory Mirror Group.

EPAA's Mirror Group consists of civil society representatives and brings a broader societal perspective to EPAA's work. It acts as a consultation forum for the Steering Committee in the implementation of the Action Program and EPAA projects. Winfried Neuhaus, AIT Principal Scientist of the Molecular Diagnostics Competence Unit at the AIT Center for Health and Bioresources, was selected to strengthen the Mirror Group.

The group includes researchers, animal welfare advocates, consumers and patient groups and provides advice on EPAA's day-to-day tasks such as outreach, communication and dissemination activities. As an interface between EPAA and expert stakeholders from academia, 3R centers, patient groups, animal research and animal welfare NGOs, she is considered a force multiplier for EPAA's work.

Neuhaus has worked for years in the area of 3Rs (Replacement - Reduction - Refinement) of animal studies. He leads the Biological Barriers Group at AIT, he is an expert in the field of alternatives for animal models and he coordinates the COST Action IMPROVE to improve reproducibility and predictability in biomedical research using concepts from the 3Rs field. In addition to his role at AIT, he is president of EUSAAT (European Society of Alternatives to Animal Testing), and with him Austria's first professorship for alternatives to animal testing was established at Danube Private University. The work of EPAA and the Mirror Group is enriched by his expertise in the field of non-animal methods and his experience in working with international partners.

Information about the partners and the structure, the project platform, the annual conference, other activities and events, awards and funding can be found on the website:

https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/chemicals/european-partnership-alternative-approaches-animal-testing_en