As global regulatory momentum builds to reduce animal testing, leading experts in microphysiological systems, complex in vitro models, organoids, and organ-on-chip technologies are gearing up to converge at the 11th 3D Tissue Models Summit, taking place from April 28-30, 2026, in Boston. The summit stands as the only industry-led meeting entirely dedicated to advancing physiologically relevant in vitro systems and expanding their adoption through drug discovery and development.
In a series of interviews with event speakers, Rachelle Prantil-Baun, Chief Scientist at Novo Nordisk, sat down to discuss the reasons why this year’s gathering is particularly vital for the community working on modernizing preclinical science.
Pressure from regulatory and governmental agencies is driving innovation
During the interview, Prantil-Baun emphasized the growing urgency to move away from animal models, citing the rapid growth of legislative and regulatory measures in the US and Europe focused on promoting human-relevant alternatives. This aligns strongly with the broader summit agenda, which explores how FDA modernization laws 2.0 and 3.0, and international policy changes, reshape expectations for the robustness, reproducibility, and translational relevance of models.
A unique hub for interdisciplinary collaboration
When asked why experts focused on complex in vitro models should participate, Prantil-Baun highlighted the unique interdisciplinary blend offered by the meeting:
“It’s a smaller meeting, but it’s a great meeting to truly meet all people from all walks of life touching on MPS – industry, universities, and government. It’s an ideal place to come together and discuss gaps, both policy and scientific, and we can also create solutions. I simply can’t think of a better place to meet people, be open-minded, talk about experiences, and find solutions.”
Her viewpoint echoes the summit’s mission of bringing together leaders from biopharmaceutical R&D, regulatory specialists, model developers, and academic innovators to align on standards, share case studies, and accelerate the concrete adoption of next-generation systems.
Reflecting on progress and looking to the future
Reflecting on her experience at the previous summit, Prantil-Baun noted the rapid evolution in the field:
“Last year, I participated, and the 3.0 modernization law had just come out, so people didn’t have much time to discuss it. I’m really eager to see how everyone’s reflective process has evolved and what experiences they’ve had… It’s really a great place to see where we are: have we moved things forward in a year.”
Her comments reinforce a theme of the 2026 agenda: evaluating progress made over the past 12 months and understanding what is still needed to ensure scalability, regulatory adherence, and translational relevance across therapeutic areas.
Watch the full interview with Rachelle Prantil-Baun to gain a deeper insight into her 20-year career in advanced 3D model development and her predictions for the future of preclinical testing.
Download the 2026 events guide
– Explore Rachelle’s planned session, examine the full faculty, and discover the complete agenda – including themes like regulatory science, model validation, co-culture systems, organoids, scalability, and translational relevance – access the full 11th 3D Tissue Models Summit Events Guide.
Download the complete event guide to see all speakers, sessions, and content shaping this year’s meeting, and learn how your team can stay ahead of rapidly evolving expectations in preclinical modeling.
