LONDON, England (November 15, 2012) – Today, campaigning company LUSH Cosmetics, announces the winners of the first-ever global LUSH Prize to help bring an end to animal testing in the wake of the continuing failure to ban these practices. This prize will be given annually to groups or individuals around the world working in the field of cruelty-free scientific research, awareness-raising and lobbying. LUSH created this prize in partnership with Ethical Consumer ensuring the award process is impartial, rigorous and comprehensive in scope.
The £250,000 prize fund, the biggest prize in the alternative testing sector, focuses pressure on safety testing for consumer products in a way which complements projects which already address alternatives to the animal testing of medicines.
At an award ceremony being held in London, the LUSH Prize winners are being formally announced and awarded in the following categories:
- Science Prize – the development of replacement non-animal tests
- Training Prize – training researchers in non-animal methods
- Lobbying Prize – policy interventions to promote the use of replacements
- Public Awareness Prize – public-awareness raising of on going testing
- Young Researcher Awards – to five post-graduates specializing in replacements research
Within the above categories USA groups and researchers have won and will be awarded in three sectors outlined below:
The new annual LUSH Training Prize, two groups share the £50,000 LUSH Training Prize for making ‘outstanding contributions’ to training researchers in non-animal methods.
The winners are:
- The Institute for In Vitro Sciences, USA – for their work on training researchers from Brazil to China
- InterNICHE, co-ordinated from the UK – for their training work in former Soviet states, South America and Africa
The new annual LUSH Lobbying Prize, one group is awarded £40,000 for its lobbying work to persuade the European Union to dramatically reduce requirements for animal tests of certain pesticides.
The winner is:
- Humane Society International
Also commended in this category, and receiving smaller awards, were:
- The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations, India – who received £5,000 for their research and lobbying on animal testing in India, and
- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India – who received £5,000 for their work with Indian regulators on a cosmetics testing ban.
The new annual LUSH Young Researchers Prize, four young researchers receive £12,500 each to help them fund the next stage of a career focussed on an animal-test free future.
The winners are:
- Elizabeth Woehrling, UK – and her work on the development of a new in vitro test for neurotoxicity
- Felix Rivera-Mariani, USA – and his work on expanding an existing non animal test into new areas
- Chiara Scanarotti, Italy – and her work on skin sensitisation and chemical mixtures
- Line Mathiesen, Norway – and her work on studying the impact of toxics on placental tissue
Rob Harrison from the LUSH Prize said:
“LUSH Prize winners in 2012 have included scientists, campaigners, lobbyists, training specialists and young researchers. All these people play a vital role in the global movement to replace animal testing with methods that are now widely accepted to be both more humane and effective.”
Every year, it is estimated that more than 100 million animals – including mice, rabbits and rats – are used in testing laboratories around the world.
1. More details on the Lobbying prize winners are available as follows:
Humane Society International – http://www.hsi.org
Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations – http://www.fiapo.org
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, India- http://www.petaindia.com
2. More details on the Training prize winners:
The Institute for In Vitro Sciences, USA – http://www.iivs.org
InterNICHE, UK – http://www.interniche.org
3. More details on the Young Researchers prize winenrs
Elizabeth Woehrling, UK – http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/elizabeth-woehrling/35/823/56a
Felix Rivera-Mariani, USA – http://www.linkedin.com/in/felixeriveramariani
Chiara Scanarotti, Italy – http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chiara_Scanarotti
Line Mathiesen, Norway – http://publichealth.ku.dk
4. Members of the Young Researcher Award judging panel included:
Dr. Hajime Kojima Director of JaCVAM: the Japanese Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods.
Troy SeidleDirector of Research & Toxicology for Humane Society International
Dr Kelly BéruBé Director of the Lung and Particle Research Group at the School of Biosciences, Cardiff University.
Dr. Gill LangleyFormer UK government advisor on animal research.
5. Members of the Training Award judging panel include:
Andrew TylerDirector of Animal Aid UK
Troy SeidleDirector of Research & Toxicology for Humane Society International
Professor Lisbeth E. Knudsen Professor in Toxicology at the University of Copenhagen
Dr. Gill LangleyFormer UK government advisor on animal research.
6. Members of the Lobbying Award judging panel include:
Andrew TylerDirector of Animal Aid UK
Carolone LucasGreen Party MP for Brighton Pavilion
Professor Lisbeth E. Knudsen Professor in Toxicology at the University of Copenhagen
Dr. Gill LangleyFormer UK government advisor on animal research.
More information at: www.lushprize.org/prizes/lush-prize-judges
7. The Lush Prize is designed to reward groups or individuals working in the field of cruelty-free scientific research, awareness-raising and lobbying to help bring to an end to animal testing.
Its £250,000 annual prize fund – the biggest prize in the non-animal testing sector – seeks to focus pressure on safety testing for consumer products in a way which complements projects already addressing the animal testing of medicines.
