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Prof. Dr. Peter Loskill and Dr. Silke Riegger have been awarded the prestigious Ursula M. Händel Animal Welfare Prize 2024 for their pioneering work at the µOrganoLab and the 3R-Center Tübingen. The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) recognized their innovative developments in Organ-on-Chip technology, which significantly contribute to human-relevant science and reducing and replacing animal testing in scientific research. This award includes a prize of €80,000.

The award ceremony took place on June 6, 2024, at the Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg. Peter Loskill and Silke Riegger presented their work to the audience, followed by a discussion led by DFG Vice President and jury member Prof. Dr. Petra Dersch, moderated by Cornelia Lossau. The jury praised the validation of Organ-on-Chip models and highlighted the team’s extensive efforts in training and education, which are critical for promoting the adoption of these alternative methods.

A key reason for receiving this prestigious award was the holistic approach taken by the µOrganoLab and the 3R-Center Tübingen. In addition to developing novel human-relevant in vitro test systems, the team is heavily investing in education, training, and science communication. This comprehensive strategy ensures that not only fellow scientists but also students gain a thorough understanding of these technologies. By providing both the theoretical knowledge and practical skill set required to implement these novel methodologies in their own research, a new generation of researchers is fostered who is capable f advancing human-relevant science.

Receiving the Ursula M. Händel Animal Welfare Award is not only a recognition of the achievements, but also a great motivation to continue developing human-relevant models and reducing the reliance on animal testing in biomedical research. We are deeply grateful to the DFG and the jury for this honor and look forward to further advancing our research in alignment with the 3R principles.