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LabAnimals
Announcing the winner of our JRC Summer School grant
20 April 2023
News
Eurogroup for Animals is pleased to offer a €500 travel grant to attend the JRC Summer School on Non-animal Approaches in Science: Towards Sustainable Innovation organised by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre and its EU Reference Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EURL ECVAM). The grant will help cover the travel and/or accommodation costs of a student or early-career researcher wishing to learn more about non-animal approaches in science.
The winner of this travel grant is Martina Benedetti, a PhD student working in the pioneering laboratory for alternative methods in Argentina. The main objective of Martina’s research group is to incorporate for the first time a validated methodology in Argentina in order to offer non-animal testing services to the local industry, to develop new methodologies and to refine strategies that can help replace the use of animals that are still required by regulatory bodies.
Her research focuses on modelling the human eye using in vitro techniques to assess the reversibility of potential damage when the eye is exposed to a toxic substance. Our winner is also passionate about science communication. She strives to contribute to an open dialogue with the general public and scientists in a country that is taking its first steps in exploring non-animal approaches.I am so glad to be given the opportunity to assist to the JRC Summer School this year, my research is fully based on new alternative methods (NAMs) development, therefore learning from experts will surely be very beneficial for my studies! The attendance to this event is extremely valuable for me since in Argentina we are the only laboratory working on NAMs, so I am very excited to meet peers that work on the same topic, hopefully this could lead to future collaborations. This opportunity is only possible thanks to the support given by Eurogroup for Animals and RSPCA.”Martina Benedetti
The Summer School will be held at the JRC site in Ispra (Italy) from 23 to 26 May 2023. The event offers an excellent opportunity to explore career development paths, and to build a professional network. The 3-day interactive scientific programme will focus on complex in vitro methods and computational modelling used in biomedical research and regulatory applications. The programme includes lectures by experts in the field, round tables for discussions on topical issues, poster presentations, debate sessions, as well as a visit to the EURL-ECVAM laboratories.
