Summer Student 2017: Emma-Jane Macrae

Emma-Jane Macrae, supervised by Professor Graeme Houston at the University of Dundee, helped develop a clot model that could be used to train doctors in treating strokes, to replace experiments on pigs.

Stroke and heart attack are a leading cause of death in the United Kingdom. Clots in patients can be captured and retrieved using devices passed through tiny incisions in blood vessels; however there are currently not enough doctors to perform this potentially life-saving technique. Pigs are also often used for training doctors in procedures, as the size of their blood vessels are similar to humans. However, pigs and humans do not have the same anatomy.

In her project, Emma helped develop a clot model that could be used in human Thiel-embalmed cadavers to provide a realistic model for stroke training. Thiel-embalming is a method that leaves cadavers with more life-like properties than those embalmed in the standard way.

This project could provide a superior training tool for doctors to treat stroke and heart attacks caused by blood clots, without the use of pigs.

“I am extremely grateful for this wonderful opportunity from Animal Free Research UK, that has solidified my interest in animal-free research, and provided insight to a developing field I intend to continue research in. I would definitely recommend others to get involved in animal-free research, eliminating the use of cruel studies that often do not simulate human conditions.” – Emma-Jane Macrae

Page last modified on February 14, 2019 12:58 pm