BERLIN – In an awards ceremony held at the Fifth World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences on August 24 in Berlin, Germany, The Humane Society of the United States bestowed its 2005 Russell & Burch Award to Dr. Bert van Zutphen for his decades-long work in promoting alternatives to traditional animal-based methods in biomedical research. Alternative methods are those that accomplish one or more of the Three Rs of replacing or reducing animal use in experiments, or refining such use so that animals experience less pain and distress.
Dr. van Zutphen is Professor Emeritus from Utrecht University, Netherlands, where he worked from 1983 until his retirement last year. He co-founded the World Congresses on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences in 1993, and was the primary organizer of the Second World Congress on Alternatives, in Utrecht in 1996. He also co-founded the Netherlands Centre for Alternatives. In the mid-1980s, he established laboratory animal science courses for students, young scientists and veterinarians that emphasized the 3Rs. These courses were later mandated by law and served as a model recommendation for the education of scientists. Dr. van Zutphen also was responsible for the position paper of the European Science Foundation on the proper use of animals for scientific purposes, which emphasized the Three Rs.
Today, Dr. van Zutphen continues his involvement in the Netherlands Centre for Alternative and in the Alternatives Congress Trust, which was established in 2001 to manage the World Congresses.
For these accomplishments and many others, including his numerous publications on refinement, animal welfare, and laboratory animal science, Dr. Van Zutphen has received the Doerenkamp/Zbinden Award, the ICLAS Ben Cohen Award, and the Golden Giraffe Award.
Dr. van Zutphen was selected as a recipient of the Russell & Burch Award from a field of nine strong candidates. The seven judges are all former recipients of the Russell & Burch Award. Candidates for the award are evaluated on the basis of several criteria, including the scientific merit and impact of their contribution to the alternatives field and on their professional commitment to this field.
According to Dr. Martin Stephens, HSUS vice president for animal research issues, "The judges selected Bert van Zutphen for his career-long commitment to educating young scientists and the broader scientific community in the principles of humane experimental technique, especially refinement."
The HSUS presents the Russell & Burch Award to scientists who have made outstanding contributions toward the advancement of alternative animal research methods in the areas of biomedical research, testing, or higher education. The award, which carries a $5,000 prize, is named in honor of William M. Russell and Rex L. Burch, the scientists who formulated the Three Rs approach of replacement, reduction, and refinement. The award is bestowed every three years at the World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences.
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization representing more than nine million members and constituents. The non-profit organization is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The group is based in Washington and has numerous field representatives across the country. On the web at www.hsus.org.
