Coalition of Veterinarians, Scientists, and Health Care Professionals Launches the "Save Science Oregon" Campaign to Prevent Closure of the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC)

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Oregon Voices for Biomedical Research

Apr 29, 2026, 08:32 ET

BEAVERTON, Ore., April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Oregon Voices for Biomedical Research (OVBR), a nonprofit advocacy group of veterinarians, scientists, healthcare professionals and concerned Oregonians, is launching a campaign to protect the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) from closure. The campaign begins this week with messages on billboards, public transport, and social media. The website for the group is SaveScienceOregon.org.

OVBR is responding to recent political pressure for OHSU to close the center. The Oregon National Primate Research Center is a world-class institution, fundamental to advancing public health since 1962. To move toward closure without a full consideration of the national scientific implications or the economic fallout is a reaction based on anti-science politics rather than evidence and public interest.

Economic and Scientific Stakes

Located on OHSU's West Campus in Beaverton, the Oregon National Primate Center is a vital scientific and economic engine for Oregon:

Prolific science: >514 peer-reviewed scientific publications in the past five years
Funding: Approximately $100 million in annual federal research funding.
Large expert staff: a staff of more than 470 professionals; many experts in their fields
Economic Impact: Generates an estimated $250 million in regional economic activity.

Research with animals is typically more expensive and time-consuming than other methods, and funding institutions support it only when research requires the complexity of a living whole organism. Despite claims from animal rights organizations, the life-saving research performed at ONPRC—which includes work on vaccines, reproductive health, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and a wide variety of infectious and organ diseases—cannot currently be fully replaced by artificial intelligence or non-animal studies.

The "Save Science Oregon" Initiative

The public campaign launched today is designed to counter misinformation and provide Oregonians with a direct line to decision-makers. Through SaveScienceOregon.org, the public can:

Access factual data regarding the necessity of biomedical research.
Read testimonials from veterinarians and scientists, and from patients whose lives have been impacted by ONPRC's work.
Send tailored messages to federal and state officials to advocate for the center's survival.

We are standing up not just for the ONPRC, but also for the six sister National Primate Research Centers that may soon face similar threats. Oregonians deserve to know that a premier biomedical institution nearby – one that plays a key and irreplaceable role in the advancement of public health – is at risk.

Independent Voices

While some members of Oregon Voices for Biomedical Research are employees of OHSU or ONPRC, they are not speaking out in any official capacity related to that employment, but as private citizens concerned about current threats to biomedical research.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Diana Gordon, Oregon Voices for Biomedical Research (OVBR)