Marie Louise has recently started the PhD Program at Vetmeduni on animal welfare of beef and dairy cows. Her PhD project is part of a transdiciplinary farm to fork assessment for sustainable cattle production in Austria (COwLEARNING) that is conducted jointly with the University for natural resources and life science (BOKU), Vienna. Its aim is to establish a novel dialogue between stakeholders of the sector and identify ways towards a sustainable dairy and beef production.This includes the aspect of animal and human welfare. A comprehensive assessment of welfare of calves, cows and bulls along the production chain and within different production and retail systems will be conducted. Key indicators for welfare, human-animal relationships and insights on possible scaling effects will feed into this integrative assessment.

After finishing her Master in Livestock science at the University of natural resources and life science (BOKU) in Vienna, Marie Louise spent a year at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Parma, Italy, where she supported the Animal Health and Welfare Unit. In the past 2 years Marie Louise has been working for the German Poultry Industry, focusing on animal welfare in poultry and organic farming.

The assessment of welfare measures of cattle and the practical application in animal husbandry as well as to explore innovative ways for sustainable husbandry systems is the core work of her research.