The Biomechanics Research Unit (Prof. Liesbet Geris) has been shortlisted for the Lush Prize 2026 in two categories, recognizing its contribution to the development of innovative, non-animal approaches in science, including toxicology.
The Lush Prize rewards initiatives in science and campaigning that aim to end or replace animal testing, with a particular focus on toxicology research.
Young Researcher Prize
Luiz Ladeira has been shortlisted for his project entitled “S2TOX – Mechanistic assessment of cardiotoxicity using integrated in silico and in vitro modeling.” The Lush Prize Young Researcher Award supports five early-career scientists with £10,000 each to advance research that replaces animal use in science, testing, and education.
Science Prize
Bernard Staumont, Luiz Ladeira, and Liesbet Geris have been shortlisted for their work “Mapping physiology: a systems biology approach for the development of alternative methods in toxicology.” This work was done in collaboration with international partners, and establishes the blueprint for the Physiological Maps in the Horizon 2020 ONTOX project. The £50,000 Lush Prize for Science recognizes projects with strong potential to deliver practical non-animal approaches which could be accepted by regulators.
Overall, 60 nominations representing projects from 25 countries have been shortlisted across all categories for the Lush Prize 2026. The winners will be announced at the Lush Prize Awards Ceremony in May 2026.
More information is available on the Lush Prize website
