Students, scientists, and supporters at the University of California, Los Angeles, will take to the streets this morning for the second annual "Pro-Test for Science," to support animal testing in biomedical research. David Jentsch — who founded the group to mirror the efforts of the UK's Pro-Test established in 2006 — says that "the scientific community has joined together to push back against those who seek to stall advances in biomedicine." Blogger DrugMonkey shares a video from the 2009 rally, which attracted more than 700 supporters. This year's event will feature talks by Scott Waugh, the executive vice chancellor of UCLA, and Kevin Quinn, chief of the Behavioral Science and Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health.
Janet Stemwedel at Adventures in Ethics and Science suggests that supporters who are unable to attend should leave a comment at the Speaking of Research blog. "Researchers put up with a lot of harassment (and worse) to build the knowledge base we depend on," she writes. "It seems like the least we can do is stand up to support their efforts."
(HT: Science Insider)