Renelle is a social scientist who cares about the social and ethical aspects of human-animal relations. Renelle’s work has largely concentrated on public and professional relations with animal research, examining how publics make sense of the issue, how vets working in research establishments navigate expectations of their role, and the barriers that researchers using animals face around Replacement. Renelle is currently working as a postdoctoral research associate in the School of Geography and the Environment at the University of Oxford, exploring what Public Involvement might mean and look like for animal research.

The use of animals in science continues to raise both ethical and scientific concerns, with growing desire and potential for the prospect of Replacement. But the move towards a non-animal mode of biomedical research won’t be simple. Being a part of Replacing Animal Research’s trustee board provides a constructive opportunity for sharing social scientific insights that can help us collectively understand the current state of play and the challenges ahead.