Malcolm Macleod is Professor in Neurology and Translational Neuroscience at the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, and Consultant Neurologist at NHS Forth Valley. He is interested in the use of systematic review to improve the rigor, reporting and utility of animal research, and established the Collaborative Approach to Meta-analysis and Review of Animal Data from Experimental Studies (CAMARADES) in 2005He is a member of the UK MHRA Commission for Human Medicines and the UK Home Office Animals in Science Committee, and is co-Chief Investigator of EuroHYP-1, a European RCT of brain cooling for stroke.

Hanna Vesterinen is a postdoctoral research fellow at The University of Edinburgh, where she completed her undergraduate and doctoral degree. Her research background includes applying systematic review and meta-analysis to data from over one thousand experimental studies in multiple sclerosis research to understand the failure to translate from bench to bedside. Hanna spent a year in California applying the same techniques to toxicology research, specifically to assess the impact of environmental chemicals on fetal development. Hanna’s main research interest is systematic review methodology and in 2014 she and her colleagues published a “practical guide” for other researchers.

I am PhD student at SYRCLE (SYstematic Review Centre for Laboratory animal Experimentation) of the Radboud university medical center in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. SYRCLE aims to improve animal science trough systematic reviews.

In my thesis I evaluate methods to improve preclinical animal studies, with a specific focus on the concepts of the Three R principles and the systematic review methodology.

I am also involved in teaching and developing education programs for students, scientists and other professionals regarding experimental design and systematic reviews. In this role I’m also responsible for the organization of the systematic review training program for young professionals within the Radboud university medical center.

In addition I work on the dissemination of the systematic review methodology within the field of laboratory animal sciences by building and connecting sustainable networks and use of social media.

I am assistant Professor at the Radboudumc; department of Anesthesiology and SYstematic Review Centre for Laboratory animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) in Nijmegen the Netherlands ( a unique and innovative research centre focusing on the improvement of scientific quality and transparency of laboratory animal science).

My main research interest involves the translation of results from animal studies to clinical practice. I am responsible for developing methodology and subsequently tools for conducting systematic reviews and meta-analysis in preclinical research.

I also run and contribute to workshops on Systematic reviews and meta-analysis and supervise scientists who want to conduct these reviews. In addition I am involved in teaching and developing teaching programs in the FELASA Category C course and various master program regarding experimental design, systematic reviews and meta analyses.

Kim Wever is a Dutch biologist, who received her PhD in medical sciences in 2012 at the department of Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. She has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the department of Surgery of the Radboudumc, and is now a senior postdoc and lecturer at SYRCLE. She strives to improve the quality of preclinical science in the field of cardiovascular diseases.

Alison Booth is a research fellow at the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York, in the UK.  From the initial idea of a register of systematic review protocols, Alison led on the development, implementation and launch of PROSPERO. She is also responsible for the redesign and management of the HTA database.  Alison’s interests include knowledge translation: developing and implementing dissemination strategies for topics such as colo-rectal cancer guidance and orthotics for knee instability; writing and producing Effectiveness Matters, summaries of the findings of key systematic reviews for targeted distribution.  Her research experience includes using a range of methods, on a variety of topics, such as knowledge translation, health research in the media and outcome reporting bias.