Texas Public Radio News Director David Martin Davies received a Michael E. DeBakey Journalism Award for his feature on humane animal testing at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research. The story – “Questions Raised About San Antonio Chimpanzees Used in Bio-Research” – was singled out in the radio category by the Foundation for Biomedical Research.
“It’s an honor and a thrill to be named the winner of this award,” Davies said. “I hope this will give more people a chance to hear the story and develop an awareness of how chimpanzees are used in biomedical research. As Congress discusses the creation of a law to restrict the practice of using the great apes for research, there needs to be a fact-based dialog about what that prohibition could mean for science.”
The Michael E. DeBakey Journalism Award honors professional journalists whose reporting has enhanced public understanding of how the humane and responsible use of animal models leads to medical and scientific discoveries.
Davies’ story focused on the chimpanzees at the Southwest Foundation that are used in research to develop treatments to combat hepatitis C. The story highlighted the opposition against the use of primates in medical research and investigated the methods adopted by the Southwest Foundation to ensure the animals used in testing at the facility are treated humanely.
Davies will accept the award on June 16 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.