Welcome to CCAAM / CaCVAM

The Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods (CCAAM) and the Canadian Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (CaCVAM) aim to develop, validate, and promote non-animal, human biology-based platforms in biomedical research, education, and chemical safety testing.

Experimental animals continue to serve as the gold standard in biomedical research today, but many breakthroughs in research labs do not make it into our clinics—95% of drugs tested to be safe and effective in animals fail in human clinical trials. Similarly, for evaluating the safety of chemicals, the legacy animal-based methods are not sufficiently reliable to accurately predict adverse outcomes on human health and the environment.

From the Americas to the Far East, countries across the globe have already established national centres dedicated to non-animal alternatives and approved legislation to shift away from animal testing, but Canada has lagged behind, until now—our Centre is the first-of-its-kind in Canada.

We promote a paradigm shift in which human biology serves as the gold standard.

Time to change the gold standard.

Time to place Canada on the map.


We are incredibly grateful to Eric and Dana Margolis for their transformative gift of $1 million that has enabled us to establish the Eric S. Margolis Research and Training Laboratories for Alternatives to Animal Methods and launch our research and training efforts in full force.


TEDx talk by Dr. Charu Chandrasekera, executive director of CCAAM/CaCVAM "It's time to think outside the cage"


Making a Donation

Please ensure that online donations are clearly intended for the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods. Similarly, make cheques payable to the University of Windsor while referencing the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods on the memo line.

U.S. residents who donate to the University of Windsor can receive a U.S. Tax receipt. Please make your donation payable to our U.S. Foundation, “Friends of the University of Windsor.” Again, clearly, state that your monies are intended for the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods.

By Mail

The Faculty of Science
Attention: Gemma Grey-Hall
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4

By Telephone

Please call Gemma Grey-Hall
Faculty of Science
519-253-3000 ext. 2957

Online