Researcher Spotlight: Dave Lewis

In this month’s Researcher Spotlight, Professor Dave Lewis shares his journey into supporting the professional development of those involved in the care and use of animals in research and education.

Professor Lewis’s work spans ethics, professional education and international collaboration, supporting scientists across the Global South and helping to shape how animal research is undertaken, governed, and understood. His career has taken him from Leeds to India, China and across Africa, contributing to more humane and informed approaches to animal research worldwide. 

View the video transcript.

How would you describe your research in one sentence? 

Professional development of all those involved in the care and use of animals for research and education. 

Tell us about your career story - how did you get into research? 

I was sitting in my undergraduate viva – the conversation you have examiners about your thesis at the end of your degree programme – I and didn’t know what I was going to do. The external examiner pointed out that I had really enjoyed my project, so said ‘get into research’. 

My research for my PhD and postdoc involved animals. I moved back to Leeds to a 50-50 teaching: research position but I had to do all sorts of things. There was no ethics committee at the University at the time, so I set one up for the Faculty. That got me interested in ethics. 

At the same time, industry didn’t have people with the skills and experience to undertake studies involving animals, so there was a big need from pharmaceutical industries. I set up an undergraduate course to help meet that demand. 

From there, I moved into working across the UK, chairing the British Pharmacological Society’s committee responsible for these courses, and then into government policy. As a result of that, I was asked to chair the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology’s global initiative, which took what I was doing across the UK to a global level. I worked predominantly in the Global South, supporting colleagues personal and professional development. 

What first sparked your interest in this field? 

The career defining moment was the invite to run the global initiative taking my work across the UK, to outside of the UK.

I went back and forth on that opportunity a lot before making a decision, but it was probably the most impactful career decision I’ve ever made, and I’ve never regretted it. 

How would you describe what you do to someone outside academia? 

My work supports all those involved in research involving animals to undertake high-quality, humane research and education. It’s very much about cocreation. You can’t take Global North values, policy or regulations to the Global South directly. It doesn’t work that way. Different cultures and communities view animals totally differently, and there are resource constraints. 

We go to them, collaborate with their national or regional societies and welfare organisations to co-create courses. We share the content, the techniques, the educational approaches, and the resources so they can deliver the same courses in their own networks. 

We have developed communities of practice, animal ethics guidelines for Africa, curricula for animal caretakers, vets and para-veterinary professionals. With a colleague in South Africa we developed the 12 Rs, so still the 3 Rs we have in the UK - Replacement, Reduction and Refinement - but with another nine that are more relevant to other countries. We’re all on the same journey to replace animals in research, but at different points of it.  

What are you currently working on? 

In the UK, Europe and the US, animals hare being replaced with NAMs and NATs: New Approach Methodologies and Non-Animal Technologies. In the UK, animals are no longer permitted to be used in education, and we have got to find alternatives. 

In the Global South, it’s about supporting those organisations I work with to undertake high-quality humane research. Resources are scarce. They might not be able to afford the kit we might use, so they build things themselves.

In partnership with South Africa, I’m creating a repository of information on low-cost resources, what they need to build them and how to do it so someone in Uganda can take an idea from South Africa and develop it to meet their needs. 

I’m also on an international pharmacology committee interested in enhancing the transparency and reproducibility of research. Science faces issues with reproducibility and with research involving animals it is much more complicated. The committee want to use the open-access repository of research animal sciences educational resources I created some years ago to support their work.  

Who supports and collaborates on your work? 

It went from small pots of funding from animal welfare charities to university support. The university gave me some funding to run work in Africa, and then I got funding from BBSRC, and from the Indian and Chinese governments. We have funding though the faculty as well, through the impact and innovation fund. 

At the moment I have student interns, colleagues across Africa, and partnerships with national and regional pharmacological societies globally. 

What has surprised or inspired you most? 

I would say my awareness of different cultures and communities, and how they view animals, still takes me by surprise. For example, in South Africa, the baboon was considered a pest whereas dogs are considered man’s best friend. In other countries, dogs are used in research. 

As I said earlier, we can’t hope to take Global North values to the Global South and implement them there. Their cultures and values are different, and we need to accommodate those. It is also incredible how resourceful colleagues in resource constrained countries are, how they overcome the challenges they face to enable them to undertake high-quality humane science involving animals.  

How is your research making a difference beyond academia? 

It’s about the whole research infrastructure: providing professional opportunities for everyone involved in care and use of animals, from animal caretakers to experienced researchers. We are creating ethics policies, supporting the development of animal ethics committees, inclusive ethics frameworks, affordable resources, everything that is needed by these communities.  

It is supporting them to create impact. It’s that ripple effect of impact we talk about so much - by supporting them with professional and educational opportunities and resources, we help them create and continue the impact of this work.

In 2014, I developed a free repository of open access education and training resources, and it has gone global. I don’t always know where it’s been adopted because once it’s out there, it spreads, but that is the ripple effect.  

What have you learned along the way? 

Don’t assume things. I went into this work very much with the western view of life and of animals. Working with colleagues globally has massively changed my views and values. If I would do this again, I would better consider the culture and values of my partners and their communities. We have so much we can learn from other communities and cultures.  

What’s next for this work – and for you? 

A year ago, I was planning to go into the Gulf, because they’re spending a lot on research and animal facilities to replace oil, and then use that money to fund work in South America. 

But for health reasons now I have totally changed my plans. Now I’m going to focus on the work with colleagues in the African countries and get things cemented there but also supporting colleagues in transitioning to non-animal alternatives.  

What advice would you give to someone considering a research career? 

Find what motivates you. For me it’s social justice and societal impact. Whatever career it is, what motivates you is the driver. 

What does research impact mean to you personally? 

Impact to me means making a difference to the world, be that societies, countries, and communities. It is about supporting others in their personal and professional development so they can go out and create solutions to the complex problems facing humankind.

Further information

Visit Dave’s staff profile and find out more about some of his recent research projects.