Megan LaFollette

SGV Meeting 2026 · Scientific Programme

CHUV, Lausanne

• 24 November 2026 · 17:50SGV Award Lecture: Centering People: Supporting Caregivers and Driving Behavior Change to Advance the 3Rs
  Abstract

  Meaningful progress in improving research animal welfare and the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) requires more than scientific evidence. It requires people to change. In turn, a focus on improving human well-being and utilizing human behavior change theory can be powerful tools for advancing animal welfare, improving research quality, and improving the lives of the people who make it all possible.

  This talk will present an integrated framework for driving measurable change by centering the people who carry out animal research. First, compassion fatigue in the animal research community will be discussed, including key risk factors and evidence-based strategies for building individual and institutional resilience. Mixed-methods research will be presented, including findings that professional quality of life is linked to staff retention. Second, applied case studies in using human behavior change theory to create widespread 3Rs change will be explored on topics such as rat tickling, refined mouse handling techniques, and environmental health monitoring. Together, these topics demonstrate a key insight. When institutions deeply consider the people doing the work of animal research, the benefits multiply: for animal welfare, science and humans both doing and receiving the benefits of the work. Attendees will leave with a practical framework and concrete evidence that centering people accelerates both 3Rs progress and workplace well-being to the benefit of all.