Strengthen Preclinical Evidence for New Therapies Using NHP Research
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About this webinar
This webinar is the second in a four-part series from Bioculture and EARA examining the science, regulation and responsibility behind the use of non-human primates (NHPs) in biomedical research. The series explores where NHPs remain essential, where new approach methodologies (NAMs) are replacing or complementing animal research and what a rigorous, transparent path forward looks like for the field, supporting scientific progress and the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement).
Developing new treatments for serious and life-threatening diseases requires a detailed understanding of disease mechanisms and robust evidence to guide the translation of scientific discoveries into potential therapies. For complex conditions affecting the nervous system, immune system and brain, non-human primate (NHP) models can provide valuable insights into human biology that are difficult to obtain using other available approaches alone. This webinar explores how NHP research advances scientific discovery, improves understanding of disease mechanisms and supports the investigation of promising therapeutic strategies.
The discussion will examine how decades of research into primate anatomy, physiology and behaviour have established a foundation for investigating complex human diseases and developing novel interventions. Case studies will highlight research into functional recovery following spinal cord injuries, genome-edited macaque models for studying neuropsychiatric disorders and preclinical investigations supporting the development of treatments for conditions such as spinal muscular atrophy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease.
Beyond neuroscience, the webinar will examine the contributions of NHP models to infectious disease research, particularly their role in evaluating vaccine strategies to reduce infection risk in humans and investigating monoclonal antibodies for HIV-1 prophylaxis.
Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how NHP research contributes to therapeutic discovery and preclinical development, where these models provide distinctive scientific value and how rigorous, transparent and responsible research can help translate preclinical findings into potential patient benefits.
Register for this webinar to learn how NHP research supports the development of potential treatments for serious diseases and informs responsible preclinical and translational research.
Who should attend
- Preclinical Scientists and Translational Research Leads
- Toxicologists and Safety Pharmacologists
- R&D leaders, Investors and Business Development Leads assessing preclinical model strategy at pharma, biotech and CROs
- Regulatory Affairs and Drug Development professionals
- Academic Researchers working on translational and preclinical models
- Policy, Bioethics and Science-Communication professionals
- Professionals involved in animal welfare, research governance and ethical review
What you will learn
- Explore how NHP models advance understanding of serious diseases, from neurological disorders and spinal cord injury to persistent viral infections
- Understand how NHP studies support the discovery and preclinical evaluation of innovative therapies, including safety, pharmacokinetics and exposure-response assessments
- Discover how research into immune responses, viral persistence and disease mechanisms informs the development of vaccines and potential curative treatments
- Examine the scientific, ethical and practical considerations shaping responsible NHP research, including the 3Rs, sustainable animal supply and public engagement
Featured Speakers
Lars Mecklenburg, DVM, PhD, DACVP, FIATP
Lars Mecklenburg is an Executive Director in Labcorp’s Early Development business with global responsibility for pathology, statistics and data management. A board-certified Veterinary Pathologist, he brings more than 25 years of experience in preclinical drug development, spanning toxicology, pathology, pharmacology, regulatory affairs and organizational leadership. Throughout his career, he has held senior scientific and operational leadership roles at international life sciences organizations, contributing to the development and regulatory advancement of pharmaceuticals, biologics and medical devices across all stages of development.
Tadashi Isa, MD, PhD
Tadashi Isa graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tokyo (UT) in 1985 and obtained his PhD from UT in 1989. From 1988 to 1990, he worked as a visiting scientist at the University of Göteborg in Sweden before returning to Japan to become an Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo. His research focused on the descending pathways controlling eye, head and forelimb movements in cats.
From 1993 to 1995, he shifted his research focus to the molecular physiology of AMPA-type glutamate receptors at Gunma University. In 1996, he was appointed Professor at the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, where he returned to systems neuroscience research, particularly the neural mechanisms of motor recovery after spinal cord injury and visual cognition following lesions of the primary visual cortex (the animal model of blindsight).
He moved to Kyoto University in 2015. More recently, his research has focused on the neural mechanisms of decision-making and primate models of neuropsychiatric disorders. Since 2025, he has been appointed Director General of the National Institute for Physiological Sciences.
Diane Bolton, PhD
Diane Bolton received her PhD from the NIH-Johns Hopkins University cooperative graduate program in HIV-1 Virology and Pathogenesis. She completed postdoctoral training at the NIH’s Vaccine Research Center, developing expertise in preclinical studies evaluating vaccines and therapeutic interventions against HIV-1, tuberculosis and other viral pathogens. Her lab investigates vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and cure-related strategies using cellular immunology and virology approaches in human trials and non-human primate models. Her research interests includes focus on identifying protective immune responses elicited by vaccination and understanding the mechanisms governing HIV-1 persistence and replication that can be leveraged to develop an HIV-1 cure.
Partners for this event
Bioculture
Bioculture is a vertically integrated life sciences group supporting breakthroughs in early-stage biomedical research. Founded in Mauritius in 1985, the company pioneered the ethical breeding of Specific Pathogen Free cynomolgus macaques, turning an ecological threat into an industry standard trusted by researchers worldwide, under its founding ethos of Caring for Life. Bioculture extended its supply chain to the U.S. in 2014 as BC US LLC, and in 2024 acquired majority stakes in Franklin Biolabs (Philadelphia), a preclinical CRO for cell, gene, RNA, and biologics therapies, and ANEWCRO (Florida), an NHP-based preclinical CRO for pharmacology and toxicology. Today, spanning Mauritius and the U.S., Bioculture advances research from Care to Cure.
The European Animal Research Association (EARA)
The European Animal Research Association (EARA), a global communications and advocacy organisation, represents both public and private institutions in the biomedical sector. Founded in 2014, EARA developed and expanded the concept of transparency agreements, first across Europe and now worldwide, encouraging institutions to be open about the use of animals in research. As the only organisation doing this globally, EARA promotes understanding of the ongoing need and benefits of animal studies in advancing disease knowledge and drug development, as well as new approach methodologies (NAMs) that help replace and reduce the use of animals.