Dr. Kirstin Dahl Pedersen

Biography

Kirstin Dahl-Pedersen is an Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen, specializing in Large Animal Medicine. She has a strong scientific interest in production animal welfare, combining clinical expertise with pathology, veterinary jurisprudence, ethology, and social science to generate applicable scientific results. She has extensive experience in animal transport, recognizing that billions of animals are transported globally each year, with Denmark being one of the largest exporters of live animals in the EU. While it is widely acknowledged that transport has negative consequences for animal welfare, it remains an understudied topic. Her work aims to enhance the body of scientific evidence pertaining to transport legislation, thereby contributing to improving the welfare of animals during transport. Recently, her research has focused on cow-calf contact (CCC) within dairy farming, emphasizing the need for innovative methods to improve health and disease management in dairy herds practicing CCC. Kirstin collaborates with a diverse range of professionals, including veterinarians, biologists, agronomists, lawyers, farmers, livestock drivers, and veterinary authorities, promoting strong science communication and public outreach through various media outlets. In recognition of her expertise, she was selected by the Danish Royal Academy of Sciences and Letters to participate in a special scientific communication course and was nominated for the Annual Communication Award in 2023.

Research Interests