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Preclinical Data Forum Network

Promoting high-quality, ethical preclinical neuroscience research into brain disorders and treatments, focusing on neuropsychopharmacology. It supports robust design, data integrity and transparency. The Network educates on animal models, fosters open dialogue, and advocates responsible animal research. It aims to strengthen trust in preclinical science and to ensure that animal use is scientifically justified, humane, and maximally informative for translation to clinical benefit.

History

The Network was founded in 2014 by a group of translational neuroscientists from industry and academia who wanted to create a platform where leaders in preclinical, drug discovery & translational research could review the emerging issues related to rigor and robustness to provide recommendations, thought leadership and practical solutions for moving the field forward. Network discussions resulted in several funded collaborative projects such as EQIPD: Enhancing Quality in Preclinical Data, GOT-IT and PEERS, as well as training programs in research rigor and reproducibility and incorporating sex as a biological variable into preclinical research. The group has also published more than 30 articles to date, and through the support of ECNP and Cohen Veterans Bioscience, launched the first award program for best publication of negative (or null) data in neuroscience. 

By fostering transparency, effective communication, and collaboration among stakeholders and society, the Network aims to strengthen trust in preclinical science, to support the implementation of best research practices, and to ensure that animal use is scientifically justified, humane, and maximally informative for translation to clinical benefit.

Sabine Hölter, Germany, and Roger Adan, The Netherlands

Goals

1

Engage the committed community of preclinical scientists from academia and industry.

2

Maintain a community forum that enables the exchange, development and dissemination of best preclinical research practices.

3

Develop a training course on “Preclinical Research in Applied Neuroscience”.

4

Contribute to formalizing the science of translatability.

5

Contribute to the development and validation of animal-free methods in preclinical research.

6

Communicate the value of responsible animal research.

Sabine Hölter-Koch

Helmholtz Munich
Germany

Chair
Roger Adan

University Medical Center Utrecht
The Netherlands

Co-chair
Core members
Member name Institution City Country
Jesper Bastlund  Lundbeck A/S Valby Denmark 
Anton Bespalov PAASP Heidelberg Germany
Christina Dalla  University of Athens  Athens Greece 
Suzanne Dickson University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
Chantelle Ferland-Beckham  Cohen Veterans Bioscience Cambridge USA
Florian Freudenberg Goethe University Frankfurt Frankfurt

Germany
Lucianne Groenink Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
Harro Jaanus University of Tartu Tartu Estonia
Patricia Kabitzke Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard Cambridge USA
Martien Kas University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands 
Elena Koustova National Institute on drug abuse Bethesda USA
Simone Macri Istituto Superiore di Sanita' Rome Italy
Silvia Mandillo Institute of biochemistry and cell biology - CNR  Rome  Italy 
Piotr Popik Polish Academy of Science Krakow Poland
Christopher Pryce University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
Emma Susan Jane Robinson University of Bristol Bristol United Kingdom 
Janko Samardzic University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia
Ioannis Sotiropoulos University of Minho Braga Portugal
Shell members
Member name Institution City Country
Andre Der-Avakian University of California San Diego La Jolla USA
Ulrich Dirnagl Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin Germany
Mark Geyer University of California San Diego La Jolla USA
Judith Homberg  Radboud University  Nijmegen The Netherlands
Malcolm Macleod  University of Edinburgh  Edinburgh United Kingdom
Jos Prickaerts  Maastricht University   Maastricht The Netherlands 
Phil Skolnick  Opiant Pharmaceuticals Santa Monica USA 
Thomas Steckler Janssen Pharmaceutica Beerse Belgium
Per Svenningsson Karolinska Institutet Stockholm Sweden

Courses

Access the ECNP Knowledge Hub where you can find online courses with high-quality lectures from expert speakers, organised by the Networks.

Neuroscience research: exploring models and methodologies for translational neuroscience

The Preclinical Data Forum Network organised this ECNP Course in order to provide comprehensive overview about the key challenges in neurobiology-based preclinical animal and non-animal research,  as well as about a wide range of state-of-the art technologies and valid experimental approaches. 

Enrol to the course

Publications