Neurologist Professor Malcolm Macleod, who works with NHS Forth Valley neurology and stroke services, has received a prestigious European award for his efforts to try to reduce animal experiments in laboratories to the absolute minimum.
Professor Macleod’s research has earned him the Maria Sibylla Merian Fellowship from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) which promotes the transfer of knowledge between internationally renowned scientists and BfR researchers.
BfR President Dr Andreas Hansel said: “Professor Macleod has dedicated himself to this topic. His research is an excellent example of how unnecessary animal experiments can be avoided in future whilst still developing new and innovative therapy approaches.
“BfR supports the replacement of animal tests with alternative methods whenever possible. As research involving laboratory animals cannot be completely abandoned at present, it is therefore most important that the animal experiments carried out have the highest possible significance and that the most suitable animal model for the specific research question should be identified to avoid unnecessary experiments in future.
BfR named the award in honour of the naturalist and artist Maria Sibylla Merian (1647 – 1717), who distinguished herself through her exceptional pioneering spirit in the field of life sciences at the turn of the 18th century.
