Frances Cheng

Originally from Taiwan, Frances came to the U.S. for her Ph.D. studies. She was trained in biomedical research using conventional animal models but soon found through her own research that there were significant physiological differences between the animals she was using and humans. She came to learn that these differences are responsible for the high failure rate in human trials of drugs that appeared to work in tests on animals. These failures make animal models unsuitable for modern research needs-she knew that what was true for animals is usually not true for humans. Frances completed her doctoral degree in physiology and biophysics at Case Western Reserve University, with the goal of advocating for animals-especially those in laboratories. In 2015, she joined People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), where she now serves as a senior science adviser in the Laboratory Investigations Department. She works with food and beverage companies, foundations, universities, and government entities to encourage them to stop testing on animals. She has persuaded General Mills, Kellogg Company, House Foods, The Hershey Company, Asahi Group Holdings, and dozens of other big-name brands to stop conducting experiments on animals for their R&D and basic research. Frances wants anyone on a journey similar to her own to know that they're not alone-and that PETA is here to help.