Beyond3Rs is an initiative from the Department of Comparative Medicine at Stanford University, a world leading institution for research, innovation, and education
on laboratory animal well-being. We are a collaborative body of animal well-being scientists, veterinarians, and biomedical researchers committed to the idea that
“Good well-being is good science,” with an understanding that reaching this vision involves going Beyond3Rs.
Leadership
Joseph Garner
Professor of Comparative Medicine and, by courtesy, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Garner is passionate about developing new approaches to animal research which improve the translation and benefits of animal work through improvements in animal wellbeing. He is an internationally recognized expert in the behavior and wellbeing of laboratory mice, and abnormal behavior in animals in general, including awards from the National Center for the 3Rs (UK), the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, the Swiss Laboratory Animal Science Association, and the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare. His human health research is focused on animal and human studies in autism, trichotillomania, and compulsive skin-picking, with the goal of identifying biomarkers leading to screening, prevention, and personalized treatment options. The overarching theme of Dr. Garner’s research is understanding why most drugs (and other basic science findings) fail to translate into human outcomes, and understanding the role that animal models, animal methodology, and animal well-being play in these failures.
David Bentzel
Associate Director, Veterinary Service Center, and Clinical Professor, Comparative Medicine
Dr. Bentzel is a laboratory animal veterinarian that has dedicated his career to the humane care of animals in research. His current focus is the improvement of animal housing and husbandry to enhance overall animal welfare. Dr. Bentzel’s research has emphasized the principle of refinement through improved analgesia and decreased procedural stress in a variety of species. Throughout his career he has served on and supported Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees to foster an institutional commitment to the 3Rs. He has instructed graduate students about animal welfare and the ethical use of animals in biomedical research. During his career he has served in leadership roles in laboratory animal medicine residency programs and has devoted himself to the education and training of the next generation of laboratory animal veterinarians to the principles of the 3Rs.
Anna Ratuski
Laboratory Animal Welfare Research Fellow, Department of Comparative Medicine
Dr. Ratuski is an animal welfare scientist specializing in laboratory animal welfare and behavior, with a particular interest in refinement of housing and husbandry procedures. Dr. Ratuski's research has focused on topics such as environmental enrichment for rodents housed in laboratories and refinement of euthanasia and anesthesia procedures for rats and mice. She has additionally served as an Animal Care Committee member and taught undergraduate students about the welfare and ethics of animal use in science at the University of British Columbia. At Stanford, she is researching topics related to mouse welfare and advancement of the 3Rs.
Joanna Baker
Student Researcher, Beyond3Rs Web Developer
Joanna is an undergraduate student majoring in Biology and minoring in Art Practice, with a strong interest in science communication. Joanna is the primary web developer and designer for Beyond3Rs. Between Stanford and the Georgia Institute of Technology, she has experience studying mice, moths, and microbes, and hopes to work with many more kinds of animals in the future while prioritizing and advancing their well-being. She plans to pursue a research career which converges her curiosity about the dynamic underpinnings of animal physiology, behavior, ecology, and evolution with her belief in a caring, respectful, conscientious, and informed approach toward animal science.