BEAGLE FREEDOM PROJECT AWARDS $50K GRANT TO DR. LAWRENCE VERNETTI, PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, TO FUND INNOVATIVE STUDY AIMED AT ELIMINATING ANIMAL-BASED RESEARCH

BEAGLE FREEDOM PROJECT AWARDS $50K GRANT TO DR. LAWRENCE VERNETTI, PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, TO FUND INNOVATIVE STUDY AIMED AT ELIMINATING ANIMAL-BASED RESEARCH

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 15, 2017) – The national non-profit, animal rescue and advocacy organization Beagle Freedom Project (BFP), recently announced four chosen winners of its first ever ‘Beagle Freedom Prize’.

Dr. Lawrence Vernetti, research associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh Drug Discovery Institute, was the fourth and final winner to be awarded a $50k grant by Beagle Freedom Project.

Having led various innovative research studies, including the successful development of human microphysiology liver platform, Dr. Vernetti’s goal is to reduce and eliminate the use of animals in laboratory experimentation. Along with his research team, Dr. Vernetti will use the funds from BFP to evolve structures and functions that are lacking in all current in vitro liver systems, and therefore increase the value to the Drug Discovery Institute. Once the technology is successfully validated, it can lead to a significant and tangible decrease in the use of dogs, and other animals, for pharmaceutical testing.

“Having the support of an organization like Beagle Freedom Project makes it possible for my team and I to work towards our mission,” explains Dr. Lawrence Vernetti. “We want to shed light on this important and tragic issue since animals are a human’s best friend, and they all deserve to enjoy a live free from harmful experimentation.”

“BFP is doing everything possible to support researchers who are trying to make a change in the way animals are being used in laboratory experimentation,” states BFP’s Vice President, Kevin Chase. “Dr. Lawrence Vernetti is a prime example of someone who is working towards a permanent change.”

Negotiating with laboratories around the world, BFP helps to set beagles and other animals free from a grueling life of being tested for cosmetics, products, and scientific curiosities. The non-profit has strong celebrity support from stars such as Sia, Chelsea Handler, Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, Maria Menounos, Whitney Cummings, Nikki Reed, and Ian Somerhalder, to name a few.
For more information on Beagle Freedom Project, or to interview Dr. Lawrence Vernetti and/or Kevin Chase, please contact Eileen Koch of EKC PR, a full service Branding, Marketing, and Public Relations firm at 310.441.1000 or email Eileen@ekcpr.com. Visit www.EKCPR.com.