BfR awards fellowship to Malcolm Macleod

With the Maria Sibylla Merian Fellowship, the BfR promotes the transfer of knowledge between internationally renowned scientists and the researchers at the BfR. The BfR named the award in honour of the naturalist and artist Maria Sibylla Merian (1647 - 1717), who distinguished herself through her exceptional pioneer spirit in the field of life sciences at the turn of the 18^th century. Merian’s independent scientific achievements are an inspiration for the mission of the BfR in the field of consumer health protection.

The first Merian Fellow is Malcolm Macleod, Professor of Neurology and Translational Neurosciences at the University of Edinburgh and coordinator of CAMARADES (Collaborative Approach to Meta-analysis and Review of Animal Data from Experimental Studies). His work is dedicated to the reproducibility of the results of studies involving animal experiments and their translation to humans. His research also involves quality assurance in biomedical studies. Systematic evaluation of studies involving animal experiments shall improve the design, implementation, analysis and reporting of animal studies . If no alternative method to the animal experiment exists, the most suitable animal model for the specific research question should be identified to avoid unnecessary animal experiments in the future. Only sufficient information e.g. through the use of systematic reviews and meta-analysis enables researchers to determine the need for further experiments and the exact areas these experiments should concentrate on. Malcolm Macleod’s research is therefore crucial for the development of strategies to reduce animal experiments. The BfR aims to collaborate with Malcolm Macleod on a scientific basis in order to advance research in the field of meta-analysis.

More detailed information on the BfR Fellowship Programmes is available here: http://www.bfr.bund.de/en/fellowship_programmes-202754.html