UMass-Amherst shuts down marmoset menopause experiments following PETA pressure
This move comes after a sustained and vigorous campaign by PETA, which initially exposed the invasive and scientifically flawed menopause experiments on marmosets at UMass-Amherst in 2021.
USA – The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has succeeded in shutting down a controversial menopause research laboratory at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass-Amherst) that used marmoset monkeys.
The lab, run by primatologist Agnès Lacreuse, conducted over a decade of intrusive and scientifically flawed experiments involving marmosets, which do not naturally experience menopause.
These included binding the animals in restraints, drilling holes into their skulls to implant electrodes, cutting open their necks, removing ovaries, and using hand warmers to simulate hot flashes.
After these procedures, the marmosets were euthanized and dissected.
PETA criticized the experiments as cruel, ineffective for advancing human treatment, and a misuse of over USD 6 million in federal funding.
The campaign, spanning several years with protests, legal actions, and public pressure, culminated in the lab’s closure by the end of July 2025.
UMass cited the conclusion of NIH grant funding and a shift in research priorities as reasons for ending the program.
At the same time, PETA highlighted the unethical treatment and scientific flaws inherent in the research.
Documents revealed attempts by the lab to obstruct public record access and showed that some marmosets endured severe health issues such as gum infections, broken teeth, and chronic diarrhoea with little evidence of treatment.
According to PETA no animal model like the marmoset, can adequately replicate the complex physiology of human menopause, especially given differences in brain structure, hormone response, and aging processes.
PETA highlighted the availability of non-animal research methods, including organ-on-a-chip technology, which provide more relevant and humane alternatives for studying cognitive decline and estrogen effects.
The closure marks a significant victory for animal rights advocates and calls into question the ethical and scientific validity of invasive primate research in women’s health at UMass.
This move comes after a sustained and vigorous campaign by PETA, which initially exposed the invasive and scientifically flawed menopause experiments on marmosets at UMass-Amherst in 2021.
Over several years, PETA carried out dozens of protests, an advertising campaign, lawsuits, disruptions of fundraising events, and conference appearances to pressure the university to end the controversial research.
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