Monkey, Mouse or Zebrafish?

How do researchers justify the choice of animals for their research? Do their choices always provide the greatest benefit – or the least harm for that benefit? And how do researchers deal with the implicit moral hierarchy among animals, with primates at the top and fish at the bottom? Do they shy away from using 'higher' animal species because of moral concerns, bureaucratic burden or fear of public opposition? This symposium seeks answers to these questions, using research on Alzheimer’s Disease as a case study, with the aim to help researchers and regulators in asking the right questions when choosing and evaluating model organisms. The Ethics Committee for Animal Experimentation (ECAE) of the Swiss Academies of Art and Science is organising this symposium to help researchers and regulators ask the right questions when selecting and evaluating model organisms.