As regulatory momentum to reduce reliance on animal testing accelerates globally, leading experts in microphysiological systems (MPS), complex in vitro models (CIVM), organoids, and organoid-on-a-chip technologies are preparing to gather for the 11th 3D Tissue Model Summit to be held in Boston, April 28-30, 2026. This summit serves as the only industry-driven conference dedicated to advancing physiologically relevant in vitro systems and expanding their adoption across drug discovery and development.
Image credit: Hanson Wade Group – 11th Annual 3D Tissue Modeling Summit 2026
As part of the event’s speaker interview series, Novo Nordisk Principal Scientist Rachelle Plantill Bown discussed why this year’s conference is especially important to the community working to modernize preclinical science.
Regulation and government pressure are accelerating innovation
In an interview, Plantil-Boun emphasized the growing urgency of moving away from animal models, noting the rapid growth in legislative and regulatory action in the United States and Europe focused on promoting human-relevant alternatives. This aligns strongly with the summit’s broader agenda, which explores how FDA Modernization Acts 2.0 and 3.0 and changes in international policy are reshaping expectations for model robustness, reproducibility, and translational relevance.
A unique venue for cross-disciplinary collaboration
When asked why experts focused on complex in vitro models should attend the summit, Prantil-Baun emphasized the rare interdisciplinary combination this conference offers.
“Although it is a small conference, it is a great conference where you can really meet people from all walks of life involved in MPS: industry, academia, and government. It is a great place to come together and discuss political and scientific gaps, and also create solutions. I can’t think of a better place to meet people, be open-minded, talk about experiences, and think of solutions.”
Her perspective reflects the Summit’s mission to bring together biopharmaceutical R&D leaders, regulatory experts, model developers, and academic innovators to align standards, share case studies, and accelerate the real-world implementation of next-generation systems.
Looking back on progress and looking ahead
Reflecting on his experience at the previous summit, Plantil-Boun commented on the rapid evolution of the field.
“I was there last year and Modernization Act 3.0 had just come out, so people didn’t have a lot of time to discuss it. I’m really looking forward to seeing how your thought processes have developed and what experiences you’ve had. This is a really great place to see where we are now and see if we’ve moved the needle even a little bit in a year.”
Her comments reinforce a key theme of the 2026 Agenda: assessing progress over the past 12 months and understanding what still needs to be done to ensure scalability, regulatory buy-in, and transferability across therapeutic areas.
See full interview
The full interview with Rachelle Prantil-Baun has been published. This interview provides deeper insight into her 20-year career in advanced 3D model development and her predictions for the future of preclinical testing.
Click here to read the full interview with the speakers.
Download the 2026 event guide
To explore Rachelle’s upcoming sessions, see all speakers, and see the complete agenda, including topics such as regulatory science, model validation, co-culture systems, organoids, scalability, translational relevance, and more, visit our comprehensive 11th Annual 3D Tissue Model Summit event guide.
Download the entire event guide to see all the speakers, sessions, and content that will make up this year’s conference, and learn how your team can stay ahead of rapidly evolving expectations in preclinical modeling.
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Hanson Wade Group – 11th 3D Tissue Model Summit 2026
