Northwest Association for Biomedical Research

About Biomedical Research

The purpose of biomedical research is to understand the living body, and to try to find ways to prevent and treat diseases and disorders. Scientists use several preliminary methods including in vitro techniques (such as cell cultures), computer simulations, and animal studies before conducting human clinical trials. These methods complement each other in providing a more complete answer to a research question.

NEW!!!
Living Proof: Faces of Research is a 21-minute video about the benefits of animal-based medical research with a particular focus on the medical benefits for those age 55 and older. Created by the North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research with funding from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) Foundation, this video teaching tool is intended for use with middle and high school students as well as general public audiences. An accompanying Discussion Guide geared for general public audiences and a Teacher Resources packet with lesson plans and activities for middle and high school students are available for use with the video.

Download the video here. This file is large (109 MB) and may take additional time to download. For optimal viewing, right-click on the link and save this video file to your computer. Viewing this video from a file saved to your computer will prevent interruptions that can result when viewing videos directly from the Internet.

Download the General Audience Discussion Guide here.
Download the Teacher Resources here.

For information about purchasing copies of the Living Proof: Faces of Research DVD, please contact NCABR at 919.785.1304 ext. 207, or e-mail swood@ncabr.org.

From Bench to Bedside
This 25-minute online streaming video recognizes the vital role of humane animal use in biomedical research, higher education and product safety testing. The purpose of biomedical research is to understand the living body, and to try to find ways to prevent and treat diseases and disorders. Research with animals is one of the most regulated aspects of medical research. Federal and state agencies stringently regulate medical research with animals to ensure humane and responsible care. The scientific community supports the highest quality of care and treatment of research animals. This porgram features NWABR Executive Director Susan Adler and explores current research in genomics, diabetes, obesity, hearing loss, and muscular dystrophy. The program was produced by the University of Washington and is available online at: http://www.uwtv.org/programs/displayevent.asp?rid=2431.

For Students
For kids who want to know more about biomedical research in general and research involving animals in particular.

Clinical Trials and Drug Development
Find information about basic research, clinical trials, and drug development. Learn about the bioscience industry in Washington state and access archived research news stories. Be sure to tour a research facility and read interviews with research scientists!

Rules and Regulations
Research with animals is one of the most regulated aspects of medical research. Federal and state agencies stringently regulate medical research with animals to ensure humane and responsible care. The scientific community supports the highest quality of care and treatment of research animals, not only out of respect for the animals, but also to obtain accurate results.

Animals and Research: Resources
Resources for those writing reports, preparing for debates, or who are simply interested in learning more about the need for animals in research.

Patient Perspectives
Read the personal stories of individuals whose lives have been touched by biomedical research.

NWABR is a 501(c)3 organization. All contributions are tax deductible.
The NWABR web site was made possible by funding from the National Center for Research
Resources and the National Institutes of Health through a Science Education Partnership Award.