On June 15, 2026, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that moving forward, NICEATM will continue its important work as a division of the newly created NIH Office of Research Innovation, Validation, and Application (ORIVA). Soon, NICEATM content that you see on this webpage will be transitioned to the NIH ORIVA webpage. In the meantime, you can learn more about the new office and how it is structured.

https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/daibr-wksp-2026

DAIBR Workshop: Recent Developments in Human-Based Models

October 22, 2026 – 8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
October 23, 2026 – 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
NIH Neuroscience Center Building, 6001 Executive Blvd, Rockville, MD

This workshop is being organized by the Division for Accelerating Innovation in Biomedical Research (DAIBR) within the NIH Office of Research Innovation, Validation, and Application (ORIVA). ORIVA resides within the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), Office of the NIH Director.

Draft agenda (September 30)

Register to attend in person – deadline Tuesday, October 13

Register to view the webinar – registration will be open through the end of the workshop

In August 2025, NIH published a unified strategy that reiterated the agency’s commitment to promote human-based new approach methodologies and reduce animal use. These novel, human-based methods are expected to accelerate innovation in tools and technologies, opening the door to new scientific approaches, including complementary and more effective human-based research strategies.

Successful deployment of these human-based approaches for conducting basic biomedical research, uncovering disease mechanisms, and translating knowledge into products or practice will require a strong multidisciplinary effort. This workshop will bring together investigators working in human-based model systems to identify gaps and challenges in the field.

The workshop will be structured into sessions outlined below. Each session will be followed by a discussion period, with a final discussion planned to synthesize workshop learnings and establish next steps. While the workshop will be webcast, those interested in participating fully in the discussions are strongly encouraged to attend in person.

Those attending the workshop in person are invited to participate in live demonstrations of the National Medical Phantom Library (NMPL) during breaks. NMPL is a joint project of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. NMPL lends out high-quality, reproducible models that mimic human anatomy or tissue properties. These “phantoms” enable researchers to reduce reliance on animal or human testing during early-stage imaging technology development and validation.

Tentative Sessions

Day 1

  • Session I: Cell-based systems for studying human-specific development and evolutionary specializations (e.g., brain, cardiac, liver, vascularization; population genetics)
  • Session II: Transformative human-based methodologies for biomedical use: existing technologies, perturbations, and future development
  • Session III: Combining in vitro, in vivo (clinical and preclinical), in chemico, and in silico (including AI-based computational, e.g., designer cells) approaches to support human-based models

Day 2

  • Session IV: Human-based methodologies and applications in human disease models: cancer/tumor-immune axis; chronic inflammatory conditions; neuropsychiatric disorders, etc.
  • Final discussion