Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D.

@ertrunnell.bsky.social

1258 Followers 966 Following

neuroscientist 🧠 | Director @ https://www.scienceadvancement.org/ (SAO) | Moving U.S. biomedical research toward humans & away from other animals 🐀 | she/her/hers

Photo from the article in Mayo Clinic's News Network, "3D-bioprinted human skin model expands options for preclinical research" by Marla Broadfoot, Ph.D., published May 5, 2026. The photo shows Aydin Tahmasebifar, Ph.D., M.S.; Saranya Wyles, M.D., Ph.D.; Rafa Mayumi Simoes Torigoe, REGS Ph.D. Candidate [Credit: Tom Matre]

A graphic with a dark purple background featuring a quote in white text: “By combining advanced stem cell-derived cardiac and kidney models, we can now start dissecting inter-organ communication mechanisms that were previously very difficult to study in human systems.” The quote is attributed to Viviana Meraviglia, PhD. A neon green quotation mark appears above the text. In the bottom right is a photo of a scientist working with cell culture in a laboratory hood, overlaid with a neon green eight-point star. A neon green banner at the bottom left reads “reNEW | May 28, 2026.”

Graphical abstract of linked paper by Pou Casellas et al. (2026) titled: “Single-cell transcriptomic comparison of tubular segment maturation in advanced human in vitro kidney models”

An photograph of surgeons performing an operation on a fake body. From "Beating and bleeding dummy hearts to train surgeons for emergency trauma injuries" by Chris Birkle, published on 24 April 2026 by Nottingham Trent University. https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/news/news-articles/2026/04/*-graphic-warning-*-beating-and-bleeding-dummy-hearts-to-train-surgeons-for-emergency-trauma-injuries

Figures 1a-c from the linked paper. Multi-panel scientific figure summarizing brain region sampling, analytical approach, and cohort data. A shows simplified diagrams of postmortem human brain sections with highlighted regions across disease stages, including DFC, MFC, hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, STG, MTG, and primary visual cortex, with red and orange color overlays indicating regions associated with different Braak stages and Alzheimer’s disease spectrum cases. B presents a workflow diagram linking modalities—quantitative neuropathology, single-nucleus RNA sequencing, ATAC-seq, and genome sequencing—to analyses of pseudo-progression, differential cell-type abundance, and polygenic risk. C displays a large heatmap of SEA-AD cohort participants, organized by demographics and clinical staging. Rows include sex, age at death, postmortem interval, APOE genotype, AD neuropathological change, Braak stage, Thal phase, CERAD score, cognitive status, and comorbidities. Blue shading indicates demographic variation, red gradients indicate increasing Alzheimer’s disease severity, and gray/purple tones indicate co-morbid conditions such as LATE, Lewy body disease, arteriosclerosis, and atherosclerosis.

Dark navy graphic featuring the following quote: "The pharmaceutical industry faces a critical attrition crisis, with ~90% of drug candidates failing in clinical trials largely due to the inability of conventional cell cultures and animal models to accurately predict human responses." A white laboratory mouse among glass ampoules is shown in the lower half. Attributed to Ryan Posey, Alican Özkan, & Donald E. Ingber (2026) from Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews.

Informational graphic about NIH Funding Opportunities for the PRIMED-AI Program. The design features a light gray background with circuit board illustrations in the top corners and financial goal/checklist icons in the bottom-left. The header reads "NIH Funding Opportunities – PRIMED-AI Program" followed by a description of the program combining clinical imaging with multimodal health data to develop AI-powered clinical decision support tools. Five funding opportunity cards are displayed: Validation Center (RFA-RM-27-014), Logistics Center (RFA-RM-27-015), Model-to-Clinic (RFA-RM-27-013), Development and Testing of a Multi-use Frameworks Playbook (RFA-RM-27-011), and Data-to-Model: An Academic-Industrial Partnership (RFA-RM-27-012). The footer directs viewers to commonfund.nih.gov/primed-ai for more information

Informational graphic announcing the NIDDK U24 Opportunity: Kidney Precision Medicine Project Central Hub (RFA-DK-27-303). Application closing date: July 10, 2026. The role provides strategic vision and leadership for a unified KPMP-wide effort to discover and define new disease pathways and subgroups that enable precision clinical trials, focusing on scientific discovery, communication and outreach, and project stewardship. The design features a light blue-gray background with decorative banking/goal-themed illustrations in the corners, a calendar icon, and a circular paint stroke accent.

Graphic listing NAMs-relevant fellowships and postdoctoral opportunities at NIH's DPCPSI. The title appears in bold red and black text at the top. Seven opportunities are listed in two columns with small icons beside each: NIH Fellowship on Human-based Novel Alternative Methods, NIH NICEATM Postdoctoral Opportunity for Interactive Visualization (MoVIZ+), NIH NICEATM Postdoctoral Opportunity in AI-Driven Chemical Data Integration, NIH New Approach Methodologies and Women's Health, NIH Data Science to Advance Women's Health Research, NIH Postdoctoral Opportunity in PBPK Modeling of Fetoplacental Exposure, and NIH Postdoctoral Opportunity in Developmental Neurotoxicity. An illustration of two scientists in lab coats appears in the bottom left, and stacked books with an apple and test tubes in the top right. The bottom directs viewers to zintellect.com/catalog with keyword DPCPSI. Light blue background.

Figure 1 from "Shear cytokine crosstalk is a determinant of SARS-CoV-2–induced endothelial pathophysiology and thrombosis in human vessel chips" (DOI: 10.1016/j.jtha.2026.04.034).
Caption: "Endothelialized vessel chip platform for modeling SARS-CoV-2–induced dysfunction. (A) The vessel chip provides a versatile platform for modeling endothelial dysfunction in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection by incorporating physiological flow, vascular cells, and circulating blood factors. Using this system, we probed the distinct and interactive effects of flow, the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), and viral proteins on endothelial integrity. (B) Schematic of the microchannel design (vessel chip) with an inlet, a straight duct 200 μm wide and 75 μm high, and an outlet. (C) Photograph of a representative vessel chip used in experiments. (D) A micrograph of endothelial lining (human aortic endothelial cells [HAECs]) inside the vessel chip stained for actin (red), (VE-cadherin, green), and nuclei (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, DAPI, blue); scale bar: 200 μm. (E) Confocal micrograph showing a sectional view of the endothelial lumen formed by HAECs in the microchannel."

Informational graphic titled "Open NIH Funding for Cancer Research" on a light green background with decorative ribbon and financial goal icons. Lists three funding opportunities in rounded green-bordered boxes: (1) Advanced Development and Validation of Emerging Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (RFA-CA-27-002, due July 10 and November 10), (2) Metastasis Research Network (RFA-CA-27-012, due September 25), and (3) Early-Stage Development of Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management (RFA-CA-27-019, due July 1 and October 19). Each listing includes example research areas. Footer directs viewers to grants.nih.gov for more information.

Graph from Figure 1 of linked paper by Pacho et al (2026), linked in the post. The figure description states: “Answers to ‘what is your gut reactions to the idea of animal to human organ transplants?”

Pacho A, Cronin AJ, Al-Haboubi M, Boadu P, Mays N. Emergent ethics of xenotransplantation: findings from a survey on public attitudes toward animal to human organ transplantation in the UK. Journal of Medical Ethics. 2026. doi:10.1136/jme-2025-111602

Graphic showing recommendations from Science Advancement & Outreach to the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health: "End animal use where the animal models poorly replicate human disease.
Require systematic reviews of animal models to guide funding decisions.
Implement harm-benefit analyses for animal experiments.
Expand funding and training for non-animal methods.
Publicly report animal use and NIH funding allocations.
Transition National Primate Research Centers to animal-free research hubs.
End NIH funding for animal experiments conducted abroad."

Figure 1 from "The pain echo chamber: how barren environments amplify pain in captive animals" (doi: 10.3389/fanim.2026.1736142). Caption: "Conceptual illustration of the pain echo chamber. Pain from injuries, procedures, and disease enters a barren environment that functions as an amplifier — disabling endogenous analgesic mechanisms (including those triggered by movement, behavioral engagement, social contact, and sleep) while simultaneously activating pain-amplifying pathways — resulting in amplified, prolonged pain and delayed healing. A feedback loop of further sensitization and impaired recovery sustains the cycle."

“The difference in physiologies between animals and humans often leads to a disconnect, which means some new treatments or products fall out of the pipeline because they end up not being as effective,” said Dhar. “The organoid behaves like the organ down to its cellular structure, so it allows us to test our therapeutics in a more meaningful model.”

“How can we study human disease, if we’re not using human tissue?” he said. “With these stem cells, we basically have an unlimited supply of human tissue, which means we can have a system where we can focus on the human aspects of disease and treatment.”

Screenshot from the PDF of the paper, "Caring, killing and an always busy schedule: a cross-sectional study on stress and strain in laboratory animal professionals in German-speaking countries" by Sonja Rumpe, Regina Kempen, Roswitha Merle, and Christa Thöne-Reineke. Published in Laboratory Animals by Laboratory Animals Limited, Sage Publishing. DOI: 10.1177/00236772261417391

Highlighted excerpt from Theresa Defino's article, White House Proposes New Animal Protections Office, Renames Asst. Secretary for Health (Again). It reads, “We’re hopeful that this new office will help correct these deficits and gaps. But more importantly, this new office needs to work hand-in-hand with those within HHS, NIH and FDA [Food and Drug Administration] who are working to eliminate experiments on animals” and should “provide much-needed scrutiny on the scientific validity (invalidity, really) of proposed animal experimentation.”

Highlighted excerpt from the 2014 Office of the Inspector General Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Oversight of Research Facilities. It reads, "Dealers and other facilities had little incentive to comply with AWA because monetary penalties were, in some cases, arbitrarily reduced and often so low that violators regarded them as a cost of doing business."

Highlighted excerpt from Theresa Defino's article, White House Proposes New Animal Protections Office, Renames Asst. Secretary for Health (Again). It reads, "If OARP does not focus on enforcement, reviewing scientific merit or eliminating animal research, “it will only serve to give the public another window dressing of progress…and will be another bureaucratic stamp of approval for this cruel, failed paradigm.”"

A highlighted excerpt from the DEPARTMENT of HEALTH and HUMAN SERVICES Fiscal Year 2027 Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committee. It reads, "Office for Animal Research Protections (OARP) OARP is a newly proposed office within ASCRA envisioned to lead HHS’s efforts, including the development of policy and guidance to protect animal subjects in biomedical and behavioral research. This office will be fully independent of National Institutes of Health (NIH) and will serve a critical role in providing leadership for all federal agencies in protection of rights, wellbeing, and welfare of animals being used in research environments."

Screenshot from the article in JD Supra titled, "White House Proposes New Animal Protections Office, Renames Asst. Secretary for Health (Again)" by Theresa Defino of the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA). The content was originally published in the Report on Research Compliance 23, no. 6 (June, 2026).

Figure 1 from the linked paper, "Readout methods in organoid applications for drug discovery
Schematic representation of human organoids, derived from either ESCs or iPSCs. ESCs are extracted from a blastocyst, whereas iPSCs are generated from somatic cells. Both ESCs and iPSCs are able to differentiate into the three germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm) and can give rise to self-organizing 3D organoids. PSC-derived organoids can be used for compound screens, including the readouts and methodologies indicated on the border of the circle."

Figure 4A from "Probing DNA damage in Rett syndrome neurons uncovers a role for MECP2 regulation of PARP1" by Morales et al. (DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2025.102645), showing a "Diagram outlining the co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) mass spectrometry (MS) experiments to identify protein-protein interactions of MECP2 and PARP1 using nuclear lysate from human neurons."

A screenshot from page 2 of the linked report, showing this highlighted quote, attributed to "University of Washington Group 1 Safety Committee regarding staff at the Washington National Primate Research Center in Seattle, April 2022" : "Virtually everyone who works in the [primate] units gets ill at some point in their first 6 months, due to meeting staph and shigella for the first time and being around aerosolized fecal matter."

The new Research Modernization NOW website brings PETA's superior science strategy to life. It was created as a resource for scientists, educators, and advocates, packed with everything you need to know about animal experimentation, why the world must transition to human-relevant, non-animal methods, and how this shift can be achieved. Research Modernization NOW exposes how animal experimentation impedes medical progress, outlines the advantages of human-based technologies, and equips users with the information they need to actively contribute to progress.

The site features key steps that should be taken to eliminate animal experimentation and testing, as well as over 40 detailed appendices on different fields of study. You can also download and print key reports to inform others about these issues and advocate for change.

Visit Science.PETA.org today and take action to help shape the future of animal-free science!

Part of the paper's graphical abstract, showing a diagram of the phantom recipe and photograph of it being used in training, with a satisfaction score of 8.9/10. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2026.112934

Figure 1A-E of the paper (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-71112-9) showing: "A UMAP of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in MPS IIIA and Neurotypical 120-day cultures. Dot plots confirm the expression of key excitatory (pink) and inhibitory (blue) neuron markers in each genotype. B Volcano plot showing the top genes that are up (red) or downregulated (blue) after differential expression analysis in MPS IIIA excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Dot plots to the right of each volcano plot highlight the expression of the top five significantly dysregulated genes between the respective groups. Differential expression analysis was conducted using a Wilcoxon Rank Sum test. C Venn diagram (made using https://bioinformatics.psb.ugent.be/webtools/Venn/) highlights genes that are unique to and commonly dysregulated in MPS IIIA excitatory and inhibitory neurons. D Chord plot of simplified gene set enrichment analysis for the top up and downregulated genes in MPS IIIA excitatory and inhibitory neurons. E Gene set enrichment analysis of genes associated with synapse structure and function are enriched in MPS IIIA excitatory neurons but not inhibitory neurons. Statistical analysis was conducted within the fgsea function using Benjamini–Hochberg correction for adjusted p-values."

Figure 1A from the paper (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-71112-9) showing the "Schematic timeline of stages and factors used to generate functional iPSC-derived cortical neuron cultures. Fibroblasts were obtained from patients and age-matched neurotypical controls for iPSC reprogramming before undergoing cortical differentiation and maturation."

A quote in black text inside a blue-grey speech bubble with a black outline reads: “[N]eural organoids are 3D cellular structures that recapitulate many complex features of the developing human nervous system, including cell type heterogeneity, cellular organization, and cell-cell interactions that are necessary to enable complex patterns of neural activity to emerge.” Below the quote is the citation: “Sun et al. | Cell Stem Cell DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2025.03.014.”
In the top-right corner, above the speech bubble, is a see-through white quotation mark icon. The background of the entire graphic features an image of a microscope, partially obscured by a shadowed overlay.

A macaque in a breeding facility stares out from inside a chain link fence, their arm through the wires. © Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media

A graphic with a silhouette photo of a piglet accompanied by the following text: "When informed that treating a single patient with type 1 diabetes might require islet cells from 25 or more piglets, 58% of participants (11/19) reported that this information made them less willing to support islet xenotransplantation. “Ethically, this raises questions of proportionality—whether the therapeutic benefit to one human justifies the use of dozens of animal lives.” Mohanty, Glasofer, & Hurst (2026) https://doi.org/10.52214/vib.v12i.14612"

Compiled screenshots from the call for papers for the Frontiers in Medicine research topic "Towards Precision Medicine in Sepsis: From Diagnosis to Targeted Therapies." The text reads: "We invite the submission of original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and forward-looking perspectives on all facets of precision medicine in sepsis. Areas of particular interest include, but are not limited to: Novel biomarkers for sepsis diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of treatment respons [sic]; Multi-omics approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) in sepsis research; Identification and validation of distinct sepsis endotypes and clinical phenotypes; Preclinical and clinical development of targeted immunotherapies; Application of machine learning and artificial intelligence for sepsis prediction and management; Challenges and opportunities in the clinical implementation of precision medicine for sepsis; The role of the microbiome in the pathophysiology of sepsis and its therapeutic potential"

Figure 4 from the paper, showing " Cellularization and functional assessment of 3D bioprinted embryonic heart tube (eHT) constructs."