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Female and male animals, tissues and cells should be included in experiments to generate generalisable and meaningful results. This can be achieved, while reducing overall animal numbers, through well-designed sex-inclusive research.
The SABV biennial symposium will support scientists to embed sex-inclusive frameworks in their research, including practical strategies to integrate biological sex into study design. The programme in June includes expert talks exploring the biological basis of sex differences, their underlying mechanisms, and their significance in health and disease. There will be special focus on hormone-sensitive stages of female reproductive life and their links to disease risk.
The NC3Rs has supported the development of the Sex Inclusive Research Framework (SIRF):
- Use SIRF to assess if a research proposal has taken sex into account in design and analysis plans, by following the decision tree to reach a traffic light classification of sex inclusivity.
- Read the publication in Nature Communications: The Sex Inclusive Research Framework to address sex bias in preclinical research proposals.
- Watch our webinar recording ‘Tackling sex bias in research’ to explore common misconceptions around sex-inclusive research, and how SIRF can be used by scientists, ethical review bodies and funders.
- Read our blog ‘Challenging misconceptions and fostering change’ for an interview with Dr Natasha Karp, the lead author of SIRF, to learn more about how and why the framework was developed.