The William & Eleanor Cave Award


William & Eleanor Cave were devoted officers of The American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS) for decades. They recognized the opportunities in developing new technologies and alternative methods to address the problems of animal experimentation. They dedicated resources to fund research, eventually resulting in the establishment of the ARDF.

The William & Eleanor Cave Award is presented to honor achievements in advancing alternatives to the traditional use of animals in testing, research, or education. The award, presented biennially, is accompanied by an honorarium of $10,000.

ARDF President Sue Leary (l.) and Dr. Anna Lowit (r.)

ARDF President Sue Leary (l.) and Dr. Anna Lowit (r.)

Dr. Anna Lowit Receives 2024 Cave Award

Alternatives Research & Development Foundation (ARDF) is excited to announce that Anna B. Lowit, PhD has been awarded the 2024 William and Eleanor Cave Award. ARDF’s biennial Cave Award was established to honor outstanding achievements in advancing alternatives to animal use in testing, research, and education. Throughout her decades of work at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Lowit has demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing the use of non-animal testing methods in the service of protecting human health and the environment.

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Dr. Lowit is a Senior Science Advisor in the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics at EPA and currently serves as the US lead to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Hazard Assessment. From 2013 until this year, she served as the co-chair of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM), a permanent federal committee that was established to increase the effectiveness of review and validate test methods for use by federal agencies.

She has co-authored numerous policy and guidance documents, including EPA’s work plan for using new approach methods (NAMs) to reduce the use of animals in chemical testing, and the recently released ICCVAM report on the validation and regulatory acceptance of NAMs. Through her various roles at both the federal and international levels, she has consistently supported the use of alternative methods to provide better, more reliable evidence for risk assessments while reducing and replacing the use of animals in chemical testing. ARDF President Sue Leary commented, “Dr. Lowit is a model scientist and a model leader, approaching challenges with fresh thinking and good will.”

ARDF thanks Dr. Lowit for her decades of public service and ongoing commitment to ensuring that the full potential of alternative methods is applied to protecting human health. The award was presented to Dr. Lowit at the American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology (ASCCT) 13th Annual Meeting on October 28, 2024. Many current and former colleagues were present to celebrate and express appreciation for Dr. Lowit’s contributions to the field.

Past Recipients

2022   Daniel Bagley  |  Vista Toxicology  |  New York, NY
2020   Suzanne Fitzpatrick  |  US Food and Drug Administration  |  Silver Spring, MD
2018   Robert Kavlock  |  Kavlock Consulting  |  Washington, DC
2016   Raymond Tice  |  RTice Consulting  |  Hillsborough, NC
2014   Frank Gerberick  |  Procter & Gamble Company  |  Cincinnati, OH
2012   Mel Andersen  |  Hamner Institute for Health Sciences  |  Research Triangle Park, NC
2010   Alternatives to Laboratory Animals (Michael Balls, Editor)  |  FRAME  |  Nottingham, England
2008   Rodger Curren  |  Institute for In Vitro Sciences  |  Gaithersburg, MD
2006  Daniel Smeak  |  Ohio State University  |  Columbus, OH
2002  Leon Bruner  |  Gillette Company  |  Needham, MA
2000  John Sheasgreen  |  MatTek Corporation  |  Ashland, MA
1998  George Russell  |  Adelphi University  |  Garden City, NY
1996  Ruy Tchao  |  Philadelphia College of Pharmacy & Science  |  Philadelphia, PA

Affiliations and cities listed were at the time of the award.