After Years of Pressure from Legislators and Physicians, Brown University Replaces Animals in Deadly Training Exercises

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—After years of demands from Rhode Island state legislators and physicians, Brown University ended its deadly use of animals for training emergency medicine physicians. The student-run Brown Daily Herald reported Thursday that Brown “paused” the practice in April 2025. The nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which has been calling on the university to change since 2018, is praising the decision while urging Brown to make it permanent.

Previously, Brown emergency medicine trainees made incisions in the necks of pigs to perform a surgical airway before killing the animals. But the Physicians Committee points out that 97 percent of similar programs across the United States and Canada—including those at every other Ivy League institution—routinely use human cadavers, 3D-printed models, and/or whole-body simulators for that and other procedures.

In 2019, Rhode Island state legislators first introduced legislation to prohibit Brown’s use of pigs for medical training. That year, the editorial board of The Boston Globe wrote “Time for a humane change at Brown.” Most recently, Sen. John Burke and Rep. Patricia Serpa introduced bills in 2024 that would have required Brown to replace animals because the state’s other emergency medicine program, at Kent Hospital in Warwick, had done so. The bills stalled in committee but generated supportive testimony from many physicians and Harvard-based medical training experts.

"Rhode Islanders are safer because Brown doctors are now learning on human anatomy, not pigs,” said Ryan Merkley, director of research advocacy at the Physicians Committee. “We hope the university will make this decision permanent, like hundreds of medical centers have.”

Over the years, the Physicians Committee filed a federal animal welfare complaint against Brown, supported legislation, held a news conference with legislators at the Rhode Island State House, purchased billboards, and held doctor-led demonstrations. Actress and Newport native Mena Suvari also partnered with the group in 2025 to offer Brown a $25,000 grant to replace animals.

The Physicians Committee points out that scientific studies show there is no need to use animals when training emergency medicine physicians. Devices modeled on human anatomy allow for the learning of specific procedures, building confidence, and preparing for real-world stress. In addition, many experts stress that the anatomical differences between pigs and humans can impair learning and, thus, harm patients.

Additionally, research has demonstrated that simulators and human cadavers offer comparable or superior results to animal-based training in building surgical competence, boosting confidence, and preparing residents for high-stress environments.

To speak with Mr. Merkley, please contact Reina Pohl at 202-527-7326 or rpohl [at] pcrm.org (rpohl[at]pcrm[dot]org).