Kasturi Mahadik
CAF awarded Kasturi Mahadik a grant for her project, “Beyond the West.”
Over 110 million animals are used in biomedical research annually, yet nearly 92 percent of drugs that show promise in animal testing fail in human clinical trials. New Approach Methodologies (NAMs)—including organoids, organ-on-chip systems, and 3D bioprinting—offer viable, human-relevant alternatives, and are increasingly being adopted worldwide. However, global narratives around NAMs have remained disproportionately focused on Western countries, leaving policymakers in the Global South without context-specific evidence to guide their own transitions away from animal testing.
“Beyond the West” addresses that gap by investigating NAMs adoption across non-Western countries, with a particular focus on Asia. CAF’s grant will lead to the production of briefings, articles, and public webinars on a framework designed to help other Global South countries chart their own pathways toward reduced reliance on animal testing. The primary audience includes policymakers, funders, regulators, and civil society research leaders in developing economies.
This grant is sponsored by the American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS).
Kasturi Mahadik is a scientist turned science policy professional. She is Chief Manager at the Atal Incubation Centre in Hyderabad and the Centre for Predictive Human Model Systems. She holds a Ph.D. in Health & Disease from the Indian Institute of Science and was a post-doctoral fellow in Stem Cell Biology at the University of Paris. She lives in Hyderabad, India.
