Marie Louise is working on her PhD on animal welfare of beef cattle and dairy cows. Her PhD project is part of a transdisciplinary project COwLEARNING, which aims at a farm to fork assessment for sustainable milk and beef production in Austria.

COwLEARNING is a joint project with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna. Together with stakeholders along the entire cattle value chain, we are developing a vision for the future of Austria as a cattle country in which sustainability can be practiced in all its facets (social, economic, ecological and animal welfare). In her PhD project, a comprehensive assessment of the welfare of calves, cows and bulls along the production chain and in different production and retail systems is carried out. Key indicators of welfare, human-animal relationships and insights into possible scaling effects will be included in this integrative assessment. After completing her Master's degree in Farm Animal Science at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (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 years prior to her PhD project, Marie Louise worked for the German poultry industry with a focus on animal welfare in poultry and organic farming. The evaluation of species-appropriate measures in cattle and their practical application in animal husbandry as well as the exploration of innovative ways for sustainable husbandry systems is the core work of her research. Marie Louise is on maternity leave, but can still be contacted via the university's e-mail address and is working on her PhD.