ABOUT US
We hope to promote the ethical treatment of animals in research worldwide with the three Rs: replacement, reduction, and refinement
iCLEAR was founded by three high schoolers who are passionate about biomedical research but recognize the unethicality of common animal testing protocols. The first youth-led organization dedicated to animal research advocacy, iCLEAR provides a platform for teens to engage with sustainable research and protest against inhumane animal testing. Through articles, policy proposals, fundraisers, and other events, the iCLEAR team will educate the public on these pressing issues and advocate for legislative action to bring animal research into a better future.
Meet the Team
Founders
Zhidong (Duke) Zhang
Duke is a senior at Kent School in Connecticut. His fascination with octopi as a child led to a strong passion for genetics, but further involvement within the field of scientific research has revealed some ethically questionable practices. While he understands the necessity of animal use in research, he hopes to prevent unethical practices in labs around the world as much as possible through iCLEAR.
Grace Liu
Grace is a senior at Saratoga High School in California. Since flipping through animal encyclopedias for hours as a kid, she has always felt a deep connection with animals of all kinds. Through iCLEAR, she hopes to bring her love for biomedical research and animals into harmony and ensure the advancement of science through only ethical animal research practices. Outside of iCLEAR, she also tutors English and participates in environmental advocacy.
Sophia is a senior at the Harker School in California. Her in-vivo experimentation with Parkinson’s Disease mouse models at Stanford’s Schnitzer Lab inspired her to research more about animal ethics. Aside from iCLEAR, she researches childhood cognitive development at SCCEI, creates too many artworks to hang up in her room, and collects gachapons whenever she’s in Japan.
Sophia Liu
Article Writers
Christy is a junior at the Harker School in California. Her love for red pandas led her to take a class on biomedical ethics. Learning about the ethics of animal research has sparked a desire to better understand the intricacies of animal testing and its intrinsic value in the field of biomedical research in order to create a safer environment for animals in the lab that simultaneously fosters scientific advancement.
Christy Ma
Saachi is a senior at Saratoga High School in California. She has always had a love for animals and has extensively read about their value in various research studies. However, she also recognizes the importance of ensuring that the use of these animals is minimized and ethical. Through working with iCLEAR, she hopes to combine her love for writing with her longstanding passion for biomedical research to advocate for the advancement of science with ethical animal usage.
Saachi Jain
Nathan is a junior at Basis High School in California. Despite his strong interest in addiction and drug research, he recognizes the importance of ethicality when it comes to testing potentially dangerous substances upon lab animals, and believes that the well-being of these critters should always be the priority. With joining iCLEAR, he hopes to establish an equilibrium, balancing the well-being of lab animals with the advancement in science.
Nathan Zhao
Grace is a senior at McLean High School in Virginia. She recognizes the highly problematic nature of many procedures used in animal testing despite its longstanding practice. Through writing, she hopes to bring attention to the more sustainable methods of drug testing. Grace also tutors younger students in music and is the owner of two parakeets.
Grace Yang
Social Media
Nicole is a junior at Saratoga High School in California. She has always had a fascination for animals, especially birds, 2 of which she now keeps as pets. She hopes to use her abilities in art and graphic design to advocate for ethics in animal testing.
Nicole Hao
Sophie is a sophomore at Notre Dame High School in Belmont. The first time she learned about the cruelties of animal testing was in 5th grade and she was devastated by this sad reality. Through iCLEAR, Sophie hopes to shed more light on this topic that is not talked about enough in society with her editing experience and knowledge of social media. She also hopes to adopt two cats after her house finishes remodeling.