Where Ideas Grow
Anna Olsson
Group leader

Anna Olsson (I. A. S. Olsson) is Researcher and Group Leader at i3S-Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, University of Porto since 2004. She has a background in animal science and holds a PhD in ethology from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Her research focuses on behaviour and welfare of domestic (laboratory, farm and companion) animals and ethics of (animal) research and technology. She has established and coordinates training in laboratory animal science for researchers at i3S (FELASA accredited course). At the University of Porto, she has developed the ethics module for three PhD programs (PDN, GABBA, MCBiology), is co-founder of the interdisciplinary art-science module Biolaboratório and founder of the 1Health1Welfare Summer Research School. 

Anna Olsson chairs the institutional animal welfare and ethics review body since 2010. She leads the Portuguese 3R Knowledge Center (3RKC) since its establishment in 2023. She is Trustee for Universities Federation of Animal Welfare / Humane Slaughter Association (since 2016) and President of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Swiss 3Rs Competence Centre (since 2023; president since 2018). She is Editorial board member for the journal Laboratory Animals (since 2004) and academic editor for PLOS ONE (since 2016). She is the co-editor of two textbooks Animal ethics in animal research (Cambridge University Press) and Animal Welfare (CABI International).

She has coordinated / is coordinating 12 research projects. Three selected grants: 1. Neonatal vitality in laboratory mice: towards effective reduction of pup mortality (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia PTDC/CVT-CVT/3248/2021) 249.244euros (2021-23). 2. REMODEL Research models in infection, cancer and regeneration: replacement and translation (European Commission H2020-WIDESPREAD-2018-03/857491) 799 647 euros (2019-22); 3. Perinatal mortality in laboratory rodents (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia PTDC/CVT-WEL/1202/2014) 199.434 euros (2016-20). For more information about this research, see the project websites for VitalPup and REMODEL.

Selected Publications

Guilherme Fernandes J., Olsson I.A.S., Vieira de Castro A.C.,
Do aversive-based training methods actually compromise dog welfare?: A literature review. Applied Animal Behaviour Science196:1-12, 2017. [Journal: Review] [CI: 39] [IF: 1,5]
DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2017.07.001 SCOPUS: 85026437966.


Valentim A.M., van Eeden F.J., Strähle U., Olsson I.A.S.,
Euthanizing zebrafish legally in Europe: Are the approved methods of euthanizing zebrafish appropriate to research reality and animal welfare?. EMBO Reports17(12):1688-1689, 2016. [Journal: Note] [CI: 20] [IF: 8,6]
DOI: 10.15252/embr.201643153 SCOPUS: 84995451033.


Olsson I.A.S., da Silva S.P., Townend D., Sandøe P.,
Protecting animals and enabling research in the European Union: An overview of development and implementation of directive 2010/63/EU. ILAR Journal57(3):347-357, 2017. [Journal: Article] [CI: 45] [IF: 2,6]
DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilw029 SCOPUS: 85026451072.


Weber E.M., Hultgren J., Algers B., Olsson I.A.S.,
Do laboratory mouse females that lose their litters behave differently around parturition?. PLoS ONE11(8):, 2016. [Journal: Article] [CI: 13] [IF: 2,8]
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161238 SCOPUS: 84990221154.


Varga O.E., Zsíros N., Olsson I.A.S.,
Estimating the predictive validity of diabetic animal models in rosiglitazone studies. Obesity Reviews16(6):498-507, 2015. [Journal: Article] [CI: 8] [IF: 7,5]
DOI: 10.1111/obr.12278 SCOPUS: 84929133059.


De Castro A.C.V., Olsson I.A.S.,
Does the goal justify the methods? Harm and benefit in neuroscience research using animals. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences19:47-78, 2015. [Book Series: Article] [CI: 11]
DOI: 10.1007/7854_2014_319 SCOPUS: 84923339325.


Franco N.H., Olsson I.A.S.,
Scientists and the 3Rs: Attitudes to animal use in biomedical research and the effect of mandatory training in laboratory animal science. Laboratory Animals48(1):50-60, 2014. [Journal: Article] [CI: 57] [IF: 1,1]
DOI: 10.1177/0023677213498717 SCOPUS: 84899657143.


Franco N.H., Correia-Neves M., Olsson I.A.S.,
How "humane" is your endpoint?-refining the science-driven approach for termination of animal studies of chronic infection. PLoS Pathogens8(1):, 2012. [Journal: Article] [CI: 37] [IF: 8,1]
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002399 SCOPUS: 84857461972.


Franco N.H., Correia-Neves M., Olsson I.A.S.,
Animal Welfare in Studies on Murine Tuberculosis: Assessing Progress over a 12-Year Period and the Need for Further Improvement. PLoS ONE7(10):, 2012. [Journal: Article] [CI: 23] [IF: 3,7]
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047723 SCOPUS: 84868143706.


Olsson I.A.S., Sandøe P.,
"What's wrong with my monkey?" Ethical perspectives on germline transgenesis in marmosets. Transgenic Research19(2):181-186, 2010. [Journal: Review] [CI: 8] [IF: 2,6]
DOI: 10.1007/s11248-009-9316-6 SCOPUS: 77952304556.