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Creating Training Opportunities in New Approach Methodologies for Early-Career Researchers
Over the past decade, medical research and testing have increasingly focused on adopting human biology-based methods.
This shift is driven by the advancement of technologies called new approach methodologies (NAMs) that offer more precise, translatable, effective, and ethical means of investigation over traditional animal experiments. These human-based, nonanimal methods, such as in vitro and computational models, can more reliably replicate human biology and deliver clinically relevant results. Early-career researchers, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and scientists within the first few years of their careers, as well as field- and career-transitioning researchers, are key to advancing the transformation in research methodology as the future leaders of scientific inquiry.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine aims to promote the use of human-based research and testing approaches through its training- and education-focused programs: Early-Career Researchers Advancing 21st Century Science, NAM Use for Regulatory Application, and the biennial Summer Immersion on Innovative Approaches in Science. In May 2024, the Physicians Committee hosted its third Summer Immersion in Washington, DC. The program is a concentrated, immersive training opportunity, which aims to address the unmet need to educate the next generation of researchers on reliable and translatable human-specific, nonanimal methods for advancing medical research and testing.
The program’s recent publication discusses proceedings from the event and provides recommendations for maintaining momentum for innovative science, such as investing in concentrated training events, enhancing institutional training programs, and promoting research integrity. For innovation to be both scientifically sound and safely applied in real-world settings, it is crucial to ensure that findings are ethical, dependable, and well-documented. Strengthening research integrity in tandem with translational science efforts will help create a more solid foundation for meaningful and responsible scientific advancement.
Future Summer Immersion programs will further expand NAMs education, emphasizing their applications in numerous and diverse fields of research and testing. These programs will prioritize diverse representation and incorporate feedback from participants, with the goal of providing more practical hands-on training and mentorship. These initiatives will contribute to improving the quality of biomedical research and testing and their translatability to human clinical and health benefits, foster innovation, drive economic growth through groundbreaking discoveries, and ultimately improve public health for future generations.
