Dr. Mary C. McElroy Stands on the Frontlines of 3Rs Research

Her Edinburgh lab is developing new alternative models that are dramatically reshaping the field of inhalation toxicology

In her 19+ years with Charles River, Mary McElroy has worn many hats. To name a few, she currently wears: Head of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chair of the Global 3Rs Advisory Group, and Co-Chair of the thought leadership workstream within the Alternative Methods Advancement Project^TM (AMAP^TM). 

Her time at Charles River has afforded Mary many opportunities: the chance to build her own team, to develop new alternative models for animals, to say yes to interesting projects, all while continuing her career in lung research.

Like a lot of researchers, Mary’s early work was in academia, where she studied all aspects of lung cell-biology, physiology, pharmacology - particularly as a Fellow of the Californian Lung Association while a post-doc at the University of California-San Francisco. But when her children were young, and she settled in Scotland, she moved to the contract research side and accepted a job at Charles River as an inhalation toxicologist. Mary frequently performed non-routine studies initiated to meet a specific need or purpose in response to client demand.

A few years into her role as an inhalation toxicologist, Mary had the opportunity to help identify and develop reproducible models for in vitro inhalation studies. Although the project had its challenges, Mary was ultimately successful in applying this very specialized knowledge to establish a reproducible alternative model. She continues to challenge herself and her team on ways to advance this area, particularly given the client and industry demand for more robust alternative options.

Leveraging In Vivo and In Vitro Studies to Advance Scientific Understanding

In Mary’s current role as head of Discovery 

Pharmacology and Toxicology she handles both in vivo and in vitro studies. The in vitro work involves running preclinical models to assess lung safety and the efficacy of drugs for different lung diseases, both of which help inform whether a drug will eventually reach clinical trials. Currently, Mary, her team, and Dr. Joanne Wallace, a Principal Research Scientist here at Charles River, in collaboration with MatTek Corporation, are working on the American Chemical Council grant, which secured $1.3 million to validate and qualify a human lung NAM (New Approach Methodologies) for safety assessment. Across her team, she also manages scientists specializing in the application of non-lung in vitro models (e.g. pig cheek, EpivaginaTM, placental) to model permeation or toxicity to other organ systems. (This research was undertaken by Study Directors Hazel Paulo and Kamil Czuchrowski). 

On the in vivo side, she is working with Angela Marsden, a Study Director at Charles River, to develop new drugs for lung disease, specifically idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic, progressive lung disease of unknown cause characterized by irreversible scarring of the lung tissue. While this particular disease is rare, the medical need is great, as there is a profound detrimental impact on patients, no cure, and limited treatment options. In their research, the team is examining fibrosis in both in vivo and in vitro models, as the information from these studies could be complementary. Mary feels that toxicology is one area where the hybrid use of in vivo and in vitro models is pivotal, saying that researchers “understand that the study design for safety assessment can be based on both what the in vivo and in vitro models give.” This research has led to the development of an inhaled drug for pulmonary fibrosis that is now in clinical trials.

Sharing Expertise to Build a Scientific Community

Mary also serves as the Chair of the 3R’s Advisory Group, which works together to present the 3R’s awards quarterly. The 3Rs principle (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) was developed over 50 years ago to provide a framework for performing more humane animal research. Charles River has a long and proud history of investing in and embracing the components of the 3Rs, and is committed to leading the industry in adopting the 3Rs, identifying technologies to reduce the use of animals, and supporting efforts by global regulatory bodies to advance solutions that reduce or even replace the use of animals while protecting patient safety. This group, and the quarterly awards, strive to recognize individuals within the Charles River community who have leveraged innovative science to replace, reduce or refine animal usage.

Additionally, Mary serves as Co-Chair of the thought leadership workstream within the Alternative Methods Advancement Project™ (AMAP), led by Dr. Namandjé Bumpus. AMAP is a Charles River-led initiative dedicated to developing New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and exploring innovative scientific and technological solutions to reduce reliance on traditional animal testing. AMAP enables strategic, purpose-driven investment to shape a future in which more patients can access the treatments and medicines they need safely, swiftly, and successfully. As Co-Chair, Mary has seen the team work together to gather information about what is possible in the NAMs space, understand what regulators want, and identify gaps. The goal of this process is to reduce dependence on animal testing.

Given Mary’s career and the broad scope and impact of her work, her advice for people in any field or industry is to reach out globally for help. She found this important during her academic career, and she gained extensive knowledge and achieved higher goals by considering people in other parts of the world. A major reason for Mary’s expertise in the industry goes back to her MBA and her “interest in knowledge management and the hundreds of reports they had on site,” which she used to accelerate and improve future studies. This has allowed her to make a lasting impact on Charles River and strengthen each team she has been a part of.

Ava McCafferty is an intern assigned to Charles River Corporate Communications. She attends Boston University, majoring in business, specifically marketing and global business and graduate in 2028. Fun fact about Ava: she has a dog named Kura who is her best friend. She is also interested in fashion and enjoys sewing and drawing in her free time.