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Physicians Committee Advocates for Human-Based Neurology Research
Studying the human brain is an extraordinary frontier, but unlocking its secrets requires the right tools. This Brain Awareness Week (March 16-22, 2026), the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is championing a shift to human-based brain research. By using human cells and patient data over animals, we can accelerate new treatments through more accurate modelling—and spare animal lives.
Two federal advisory councils recently held meetings to discuss research aimed at improving the understanding and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological diseases. Physicians Committee experts submitted written comments to these meetings to advocate for prioritizing human-based neurology research.
In our comments, we applauded the recent agency-wide initiative by the National Institutes of Health to prioritize human-based research methods, including cutting-edge new approach methodologies (NAMs), while reducing the use of animals.
While also commending efforts by the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke and the National Institute on Aging to support human-based research projects and resources, we accordingly urged them to do more to fully align with the agency-wide human-based priority. The NIH should prioritize the development and use of human-based methods in research into neuroscience and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, actively phasing out the use of nonhuman primates and creating new human-based funding opportunities.
There is extensive evidence supporting these progressive strategies. The use of animals in medical research and testing fails to translate to beneficial human outcomes. NAMs have superior human relevance and scientific rationale. A failure rate of 98% in clinical trials of new Alzheimer’s drugs between 2004 and 2021 points to the urgent need for a shift to better methods.
Human-based methods are revolutionizing neurological disease research and overcoming barriers caused by the continued use of primates and other animals. For example, advanced imaging, organoids, and tissue chips are being used to model human brain physiology and processes for healthy brains and neurological disorders. These models are continually being improved with increasing complexity, helping to elucidate pathological mechanisms and identify new drug candidates.
NIH institutes must champion these transformative technologies to accelerate progress towards new prevention and therapeutic strategies. We look forward to seeing how the agency-wide human-based initiative is further implemented in support of these goals and will continue to advocate for animal-free brain research.
