Cambridge, USA - July 31, 2024

Animal rights activists, led by PETA Vice President Dr. Alka Chandna, made a dramatic plea at Harvard University’s “A Celebration of Summer in Washington” event, urging Interim President Alan Garber to halt controversial experiments conducted by researcher Margaret Livingstone on infant monkeys.

During Garber’s address, Chandna unfurled a sign reading “Harvard: Shut Down Baby Monkey Lab Now!” to draw attention to what she described as severe animal cruelty. Livingstone’s experiments involve separating baby monkeys from their mothers, subjecting them to visual distortions and even sewing their eyelids shut for extended periods. Some monkeys endure wearing goggles that simulate disorienting strobe lights for up to 18 months, while others are raised without exposure to their kind or humans.

Moreover, Livingstone implants electrodes into monkeys’ brains to study their responses to visual stimuli, a practice denounced by over 380 experts, including renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall and Harvard’s own Animal Law & Policy Clinic. Despite these objections, Livingstone has received substantial NIH funding, totaling over $32 million, yet has failed to produce any significant medical breakthroughs.

PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo condemned the experiments, stating, “While President Garber socializes, baby monkeys suffer in Margaret Livingstone’s laboratory.” Advocates are demanding Harvard cease funding Livingstone’s research and invest in ethical, animal-free alternatives beneficial to both science and animal welfare.

Harvard University officials have not responded to requests for comment on the ongoing controversy surrounding Livingstone’s research practices.