ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ

Since January 2018, Stichting Proefdiervrij has a new director: Debby Weijers. With Stichting Proefdiervrij Weijers is committed to research projects without animal experimentation. "One of the most important ways to reach our goal, is to stimulate animal-free innovations. We do this with the help of the Fonds Proefdiervrij Onderzoek, which was set up in 2009 and, among other things, funds a number of research projects in Utrecht."

Weijers believes in the power of collaboration. "By looking together how it can be done differently, we can replace animal testing." Stichting Proefdiervrij mainly invests in developmental projects, but also considers it essential that attention is paid to the implementation and validation of animal-free (in vitro) models. That is also the link with the UAIM hub. Weijers: "The hub not only focuses on the development of innovative models, but also on the implementation of these models: how do we get in vitro models on the market? How do we distribute them so that they will actually be used? Only in this way we succeed in replacing animal experimentation."

The link with politics is also visible. "The goal of the government fits in nicely with our ambition to be a forerunner in animal-free experimation by 2025. But besides that we have a role in financing innovative research, we also see it as our task to inform politicians and the public about animal-free experimentation. Science communication is very important. For us it may be easier to do so, because we are closer to society than research groups are."