LMU prizes for animal welfare research

As a token of its strong commitment to animal welfare in research, LMU Munich awards the Felix Wankel Animal Welfare Research Prize every two years. Worth up to 30,000 euros, the award honors scientists whose research makes an exceptional contribution to animal welfare.

This year’s Felix Wankel Animal Welfare Research Prize has been awarded to the study team of Professor Christine Baumgartner together with Privatdozent Dr. Thomas Fenzl and Professor Benjamin Schusser from the Technical University of Munich (TUM). In their study “Animal welfare for the egg – investigation into the development of nociception and pain perception in chicken embryos,” the researchers investigated the cardiovascular, neurophysiological, and behavior-related reactions of chicken embryos to determine from what point they develop this capacity for nociception or can feel pain.

Their results revealed that chicken embryos exhibit physiological, neuronal brain activity as of Embryonic Day 13 and that clear reactions to painful stimuli are measurable as of Embryonic Day 15. “We see it as our responsibility as researchers to continually advance animal protection and welfare through interdisciplinary and innovative thinking and action,” says Baumgartner. The research results have had a direct influence on animal welfare legislation: Since January 2024, the killing of chicken embryos in the course of in-ovo sex identification has been prohibited in Germany as of Embryonic Day 13.

Felix Wankel Junior Animal Welfare Research Prize

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In addition, Dr. Nina Kerstensteiner from the University of Regensburg has been awarded the Felix Wankel Junior Animal Welfare Research Prize for her dissertation, “Animals in court? Structural implementation shortcomings in animal welfare law.”

Her work illuminates why legal animal welfare provisions are often inadequately implemented and which legal reforms would be required to make animal protections more effective. In a statement outlining the reasons for the decision, the chair of the advisory board of the Felix Wankel Animal Welfare Research Prize and newly appointed Chair Professor of Animal Welfare at LMU, Professor Helen Louton explains: “This dissertation makes a substantial contribution to the advancement of animal welfare law and highlights how the discrepancy between statutory intentions and reality can be overcome.”

“We care deeply about animal welfare here at LMU – and most of all, naturally enough, in the field of animal medicine,” says Professor Reinhard Straubinger, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. “I’m really proud that we can honor scientific research that promotes animal protection and welfare with this prize.” In this way, LMU supports work that seeks to replace or restrict animal experiments; generally advance animal welfare; safeguard the health of and ensure humane living conditions for laboratory animals, pets, and livestock; or conduct basic research for the improvement of animal welfare.

The award ceremony will take place on 13 March 2025 in the Great Aula at LMU. It will feature a keynote address by renowned philosopher Dr. Christian Dürnberger from the Messerli Research Institute at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, who explores ethical perspectives on animal welfare.