The latest episode of our #TransparencyThursday series features Ivânia Trêpo, a PhD student at the University of Freiburg, Germany, and ATLAS Neuroengineering, Belgium.
In the Q&A video, Ivânia describes her research into developing micrometre-scale electrodes (‘microelectrodes’) that are implanted into the brainstem to record and study how the brain controls movement – the mechanisms of which are impaired in neurological conditions such as motor neuron disease.
Although her institutions do not directly use animals, Ivânia highlighted that macaques are an important animal used to study these processes using microelectrodes, because of the many similarities between human and monkey brains, including the organisation of neurons.
Ivânia, who also took part in this year’s #BOARD24, also spoke about the need for open communication.
“Balancing the potential benefits of the research outcomes with the welfare of animals is a complex dilemma,” she said. “Therefore, I think it’s very important to communicate in a clear and direct way with all parties… as well as the general public, to foster not only transparency, but also to foster trust in the researchers.”
Find all the episodes of #TransparencyThursday here on the EARA YouTube channel.