The 3Rs Framework for Intelligent Use of In Vitro, In Vivo, and NAMs

26-Feb-2026

Animal models remain important in biomedical research, but their use must evolve alongside scientific and ethical advances. This meeting focuses on refinement, one of the principles within the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) framework for animal experimentation, through the strategic use of advanced in vitro New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).

By shifting exploratory, mechanistic, and screening studies to in vitro systems such as organoids and microphysiological models, animal experiments can be refined in scope and severity. In vitro NAMs enable better experimental prioritization and more targeted in vivo studies, ensuring that animal use is limited to questions that cannot be addressed otherwise.

Through selected case studies, this event highlights how integrating in vitro NAMs with in vivo research refines animal use while strengthening scientific rigor and translational relevance.

DATE: February 26, 2026
SCHEDULE: 8:30am-5:00pm
LOCATION: MMM auditorium, NOVA Medical School - Rua Câmara Pestana 6, 1150-082 Lisboa
ABSTRACT BOOK: available here.

Program

08:30am | Registration

09:00am | Opening session
Paula Macedo, Vice-Dean for Research, NOVA Medical School, Portugal

09:05am | Animal Research and NAMs: where are we heading?
Nuno Miguel Gonçalves, EARA

09:30am | Bridging Rodent Models and Human Brain Organoids to Study Neurodevelopmental Disorders
João Peça, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal

09:55am | HaPILLness - RDefining Oral Dosing in Experimental Rodents
Sofia Viana, Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Coimbra, Portugal

10:25am | Coffee Break

11:30am | Keynote Speaker
Immunocompetent Organ-on-Chip Models to Assess Safety and Efficacy of New Drug Modalities
André Rosa, Department of Microphysiological Systems, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Tübingen, Germany

12:00pm | Modeling Cardio-Facio-Cutaneous Syndrome (CFCS) on Neural Rosettes Derived from Patient-Specific Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Ana Sofia Rodrigues Ferreira, Department of Bioengineering & iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal

12:15pm | Developing an in vitro 3D Skin Model to Study Melanoma Progression
Cristina Demelas, NOVA Medical School, Portugal

12:30pm | Modeling Immunosuppressive High-grade Glioma Invasion in Miniaturized Stirred-tank Bioreactors
Inês de Sá, ITQB NOVA & iBET, Portugal

12:45pm | Precision Nutrition for Parkinson’s disease: lessons from Microphysiological Systems
Inês Figueira, NOVA Institute for Medical Systems Biology (NIMSB) & NOVA Medical School, Portugal

01:00pm | Lunch Break

02:00pm | Poster session

03:00pm | 3RKC - A Scientist-to-Scientist Approach to Promote the 3Rs in Portugal
Anna Olsson, i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal

03:15pm | From High-Throughput Screening to Personalized Endocrine Disease Models: Human animal-free In Vitro Approaches for Osteoarthritis
Kristin Schüler, Department of Bioengineering & iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal

03:30pm | The CAM Assay: Bridging In Vitro and In Vivo Models for 3Rs-Compliant Research
Marta T. Pinto, i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde & IPATIMUP - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular, Portugal

03:45pm | Integrating TNBC Organoids and MultiOmics to Refine Mechanistic Studies of Invasion Within the 3Rs Framework
Sandra Tavares, i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde & IPATIMUP - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular, Portugal

04:00pm | Refining MASLD Disease Modeling: A Serum-Free, Human 3D Liver Spheroid Approach
Sara Ganço, NOVA Medical School, Portugal

04:15pm | Round Table: The role of AI in the 3R´s
Gabriela Silva (MPS_NOVA), João Conde (HubP2C), Ana Isabel Moura Santos (ORBEA), Ricardo Henriques (ITQB NOVA), Jorge Carneiro (ITQB NOVA), and moderation by Anna Olson (i3S)

04:50 | Closing Session

Registrations / Abstract Submissions

Deadline for Registrations: 19/02/2026 |
Deadline for Abstracts Submissions: 05/02/2026
Abstract acceptance notifications: 15/02/2026

REGISTRATIONS CLOSED - we have reached the full capacity and, for this reason, it is no longer possible to accept new registrations

To submit your abstract fill the Word file and send it to mariana.pereira@nms.unl.pt: form for abstract submissions

Organizing Committee

This event is co-organized by the HubP2C and MPS_NOVA.
The Pre-Clinical-to-Clinical Innovation Hub (HubP2C) is an innovative platform of NOVA Medical School that aims to accelerate the transfer of scientific discoveries into healthcare solutions, from the pre-clinical stage to the clinical stage, reducing the time and risks of healthcare innovation.
MPS_NOVA is a EU TWINNING project led by the Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica (ITQB NOVA) in collaboration with NOVA Medical School, both part of the NOVA University of Lisbon. MPS_NOVA aims to establish a European Hub of Excellence in Microphysiological Systems (MPS) fuelled by pluripotent stem cell technologies to strengthen NOVA's research and innovation capacity.