When Science Silences Dissent

Please join the UIC Animal Law Program for a talk by Madeline Krasno, a former primate laboratory worker whose experience in animal research led her to become a leading advocate for compassion, transparency, and accountability in science. Her successful free speech lawsuits against the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the National Institutes of Health—featured in The Washington Post—sparked national conversation about the hidden human and animal costs of experimentation.

Today, Madeline serves as the Executive Director of Justify, a nonprofit created by and for current and former animal research professionals. Justify addresses the moral injury, psychological distress, and ethical conflict that can arise when scientific work requires individuals to participate in practices that contradict their core values.

Through confidential support spaces, trauma-informed resources, and community, Justify helps lab workers process their experiences, reclaim their voices, and imagine a future in which scientific progress no longer depends on harm to animals or people.

Madeline holds a master’s degree in Humane Education from Valparaiso University and dual bachelor’s degrees in Zoology and Child Development from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her work bridges lived experience, ethics, and systemic reform, advancing a vision of science that is both human-relevant and animal-free.

This event will be filmed for an upcoming documentary. Attendees may be required to sign a release upon entry.

The event is open to members of the UIC Law community. Seating is limited and early registration is strongly encouraged. A plant-based meal will be provided.

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