Every year, NAVS travels to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) to meet with students and teachers and to distribute the Humane Science Award, the only award given by an animal welfare organization at the international fair.
The award, given to outstanding high school students with projects that aim to advance science without harming animals, is a first touchpoint for students that go on to change the way science is thought about and conducted, aiming for compassion and ethics over the status quo.
Recently, we caught up with Margaret Moe, who won the award in 2023.
Margaret began her research career through a high school internship program aimed at increasing diversity at LSU’s College of Engineering. With your support, NAVS was able to recognize her innovative work with Dr. Adam Melvin on 3D breast cancer modeling when she won our Humane Science Award at her second ISEF competition. Now a junior chemical engineering student at Georgia Tech, Margaret continues advancing humane science through 3D modeling at the organ scale.
Her current work focuses on lung modeling to evaluate how different air pollutants affect cells and potentially cause cancer—research that doesn’t harm animals while seeking crucial health insights. Margaret secured her current lab position through a recommendation from her former mentor, Dr. Melvin, showing how your support creates lasting connections in the scientific community.
Mentorship remains central to our mission of advancing humane science. Dr. Melvin’s lab has produced multiple NAVS award winners, including recent recipients Grace Zhang and Audrey Howard, whom Margaret herself helped mentor. Thanks to your continued support, we’re creating a growing network of scientists committed to animal-free research methods—proof that your donations are building a more compassionate scientific future.
