Christa Thöne-Reineke

Christa Thöne-Reineke is a University Professor and Director of the Institute for Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science at the Free University of Berlin's Department of Veterinary Medicine. She serves as the animal welfare officer for the university and is a specialist veterinarian for laboratory animal science and physiology. Her academic career spans over three decades with significant contributions to animal welfare science and laboratory animal medicine.

• Studied veterinary medicine at Free University of Berlin (1988-1994)
• Dr. in Veterinary Medicine from Free University of Berlin (1997)
• Habilitation in experimental pharmacology from Charité University Medicine Berlin (2012)
• Specialist veterinarian in physiology (2005)
• Specialist veterinarian in laboratory animal science (2000)

Professor Thöne-Reineke's research focuses on animal welfare assessment, refinement of animal experiments, and the application of the 3R principles (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) in biomedical research. Her work spans laboratory animal science, farm animal welfare, and wildlife conservation. She has pioneered methods for non-invasive stress assessment in animals and developed alternatives to animal use in education. Her research also addresses ethical considerations in veterinary medicine and the psychological impact of animal care work on professionals.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on technological innovations for animal welfare assessment, including automated tracking systems and non-invasive stress measurement techniques. She has extensive work on laboratory mouse behavior and housing, as well as investigations into farm animal welfare, particularly dairy cows and poultry. A significant portion of her research addresses the implementation of 3R principles across various animal species and research contexts.

• 2015 Berlin State Award for Replacement and Alternative Methods for Animal Experiments in Teaching and Training
• 2018 Teaching Award from Free University of Berlin for "The Pig and the Human"
• 2018-2019 Wilma von Döhring Research Prize for student dissertations
• 2018 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Welfare Medal
• 2021 FLI Support Association Promotion Award
• 2021 Professor Dr. Walther Bolz Prize
• 2022 EUSAAT Congress Young Scientists Travel Award and Best Oral Talk Award

Professor Thöne-Reineke has supervised numerous doctoral students including Charlotte Leidinger, Katharina Hohlbaum, Beryl Euseman, and Angelique Wolter, whose work has received multiple awards. She serves in leadership roles for several 3R initiatives including as Vice-Spokesperson for EC3R (2020-present) and BB3R (2019-present). She is actively involved in national and international committees focused on animal welfare policy, ethics, and regulation.

As Director of the Institute for Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, she leads a multidisciplinary team conducting research on animal welfare assessment methods, refinement strategies for animal experiments, and alternatives to animal use. The institute collaborates with multiple European networks including COST Actions on 3R concepts and automated behavior monitoring.