NIH deputy director Nicole Kleinstreuer leads push to cut animal testing with new policies

NIH has spent the past 18 months accelerating policies aimed at reducing the use of animals in research.

The effort is being directed by Dr. Nicole Kleinstreuer, the agency’s deputy director for program coordination, planning and strategic initiatives, who reports to Director Jay Bhattacharya.

Kleinstreuer’s portfolio includes programs in women’s health, disease prevention, data science and dietary supplements, and she emphasizes moving toward human-based scientific approaches.

Her career includes a bioengineering and mathematics degree, a PhD in biomedical engineering, more than a decade at NIH and nearly two decades working with human-based models before joining the agency.

The new policies aim to replace animal experiments with modern alternatives while managing potential backlash from stakeholders.