John P. Gluck

In his September 2016 New York Times Op Ed, bioethicist and former animal researcher John Gluck wrote: "There is no research more valuable than our own integrity and ethical coherence, and our treatment of animals is a direct reflection of our values toward life and one another." 

Dr. Gluck is an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of New Mexico and a faculty affiliate at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics. His book “Voracious Science and Vulnerable Animals: A Primate Scientist’s Ethical Journey” examines the ethics of animal research though his experiences working in the research laboratory of Harry Harlow at the University of Wisconsin before running his own laboratory at the University of New Mexico.

In my experience, it's rare to find scientists who are open to taking about the motivations and consequences of using animals in invasive research. After I read his op ed, I reached out to see if Dr. Gluck might be open to sharing his experiences an interview, and it was refreshing to not only be invited to his home for a conversation, but to have the privilege of his generous honesty as we explored the difficult terrain of animal experimentation.

The Interview