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Join the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine for the third session in their Animal-Free Workshop Series for Early-Career Researchers. Itzy Morales Pantoja, PhD, will present research on brain microphysiological systems and organoid intelligence followed by a career panel featuring representatives from industry, government, academia, and policy. WORKSHOP SUMMARY: Recent advances in brain microphysiological systems are reshaping how we model neurological function and disease. Dr. Morales will present research led at the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) focused on innovating neurological science through 3D brain models. Highlights include strategies to increase glial cell populations, introduce brain-resident immune cells, and improve disease modeling. She will also discuss efforts to interface brain organoids with AI for developmental neurotoxicity studies, and the use of custom 3D-printed microfluidic systems designed to support the growth of larger, more complex organoids. Together, these innovations enhance the physiological relevance of human in vitro models and advance the development of functional systems for Organoid Intelligence (OI). The experts on the career panel will be: - Itzy Morales Pantoja, PhD, Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) - Annalisa Gastaldello, PhD, European Commission Joint Research Council (JRC) - Eryn Slankster-Schmierer, PhD, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine - James J. Hickman, PhD, NanoScience Technology Center and University of Central Florida