Scientific Conference 2027
1st EUP AH&W Scientific Conference on Animal Health & Welfare
1. Introduction
We look forward to welcoming attendees to our first Scientific Conference on Animal Health & Welfare to be held in Milan, Italy, Italy’s second-largest city and the vibrant capital of Lombardy, with architectural highlights such as the world-famous Gothic Milan Cathedral. The conference will be co-hosted by the university of Milano. It will take place from the 19th January to the 22nd January 2027.
The Conference will be a key forum for researchers both internal and external to EUP AH&W, across the diverse animal health and welfare arena to discuss issues, share experiences, and present innovative solutions.
2. Conference content
We invite researchers to submit abstracts in the following areas:
- Surveillance and monitoring systems for animal health and welfare.
- Risk assessment and alert communication in animal health and welfare.
- Diagnostic approaches for animal health surveillance.
- Methods for monitoring animal welfare.
- Prevention of infectious diseases on farms and during transport.
- Interventions and treatments, against infectious diseases.
- Vaccines, adjuvants and immune-modulators.
- Advancing animal welfare on farm, during transport and at the end of life.
- Integrated approach on animal health and welfare including socio-economic aspects.
All submissions will be considered by an expert panel, and a range of oral and poster presentation opportunities are available to both established and early career researchers. The conference will feature high level keynote speakers.
Call for abstracts
Call for abstracts
Abstracts are welcome for any work relevant to Animal Health and Animal Welfare.
Both members and non-members of the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare (EUP AH&W) are invited to submit an abstract for this scientific conference. Oral presentations and posters will be selected from the abstracts received. Following the submission deadline, abstracts will be reviewed by the session organisers, and authors will be informed of the outcome in due course.
Submission of an abstract indicates the author's intention and commitment to attend the event.
Guidelines for abstracts
- Abstract in British English
- New scientific results on Animal Health and Welfare
- Only one abstract per presenting author is allowed
- Text in Calibri 11, not more than 2000 characters (around 250 words)
Deadlines
- Deadline for abstract submission: August 31, 2026
- Feedback to the submitted abstracts can be expected around mid October, 2026
- Updated information on the scientific conference will be provided on our website and through our external newsletter.
Scientific Programme
Scientific Programme
Both internal and external researchers to EUP AH&W will present the most recent research findings from across the diverse animal health and welfare arena, and discuss issues, share experiences and present innovative solutions. Several keynote speakers will address critical issues around animal health and welfare topics, sharing their experience and introducing topics linked to them.
Round table discussions will address the linkage between animal health, animal welfare and One Health from a scientific perspective. Representatives of various stakeholder groups will highlight the role of society and industry in advancing animal health and animal welfare, and contributing to sustainable solutions.
Agenda at a glanceSatellite meeting
The upcoming EUP AH&W Scientific Conference in Milan will be preceded by a targeted satellite meeting focusing on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within animal health and welfare research and its practical application on-farm and in veterinary settings.
This satellite meeting will connect relevant expertise, including invited speakers and panellists, to share and discuss AI research across these three session topics in alignment with the EUP AH&W priority areas:
- Disease Surveillance and Predicting Outbreaks
- Animal Health and Welfare Monitoring
- Vaccine Development and AntiMicrobial Resistance Research
Registration
The registration for the main conference and the satellite meeting is open. Please take note: the number of seats in the venue are limited — if necessary, we will open a waiting list.
Register nowRegistration deadlines
| Deadlines | Early bird | Regular | On site * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | 31.10.2026 | 9.01.2027 | 19.-22.01.2027 |
| PhD / students | 31.10.2026 | 9.01.2027 | 19.-22.01.2027 |
* on site, no daily tickets — subject to seats availability
Conference fees
| Fees | Early bird | Regular | On site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | 530€ | 680€ | 780€ |
| PhD / students | 430€ | 580€ | 780€ |
| Satellite meeting (19.01.27) | 75€ | 75€ | - |
Event venue
Hilton Garden Inn Milan North
Via Lucio Giunio Columella, 36, Milan, 20128, Italy
The hotel is located very close to the Villa San Giovanni metro station on Line 1 (the red line), which provides direct access to the centre of Milan and Duomo Square.
Special room reservation up to 18 September: €129 / single occupancy
Room rates are per room, per night, including buffet breakfast and 10% VAT.
City tax is not included: €10.00 per person per night.
Speakers
Keynote speakers
- Laurence Bonafos, EC, DG AGRI
- Andrea Gavinelli, EC, DG SANTE
- Yves van der Stede, EFSA
- Jacopo Goracci, Tenuta di Paganico
- Tomas Norton, KU Leuven
- TBA
Panel: Surveillance & One Health
Moderator: Pikka Jokelainen, SSI
Surveillance connecting Animal Health and Animal Welfare, as well as from a One Health perspective.
- Yves van der Stede, EFSA
- Karin Margaret Troell, NVI
- Wim van der Poel, WUR
- Leopoldo Stuardo, WOAH
Stakeholder panel: Role of society
Moderator: Ludovico Sepe, BfR
- Miguel Angel Higuera, Copa-Cogeca
- César González de Miguel, FABRE TP
- Elena Nalon, Eurogroup for Animals
- Samuele Tonello, BEUC
- Tomas Norton, KU Leuven
Stakeholder panel: Role of the private sector
Moderator: Pol Llonch Obiols, UAB
- Sven Arnouts, UGent/Provaxs
- David Basset, EATiP
- Jacopo Goracci, Tenuta di Paganico
- Pieter-Jan Serreyn, AnimalhealthEurope
Introductory speakers to the sessions
Session 1
Surveillance and monitoring systems for animal health and welfare
Dolores Gavier-Widen, SVA
Session 2
Risk assessment and alert communication in animal health and welfare
Joaquin Vicente, UCLM
Session 3
Diagnostic approaches for animal health surveillance
Pikka Jokelainen, SSI
Session 4
Methods for monitoring animal welfare
Margit Bak Jensen, AU
Session 5
Prevention of infectious diseases on farms and during transport
Ilias Chantziaras, UGent
Session 6
Interventions and treatments, against infectious diseases
Giuseppe Aprea, IZSAM
Session 7
Vaccines, adjuvants and immune-modulators
Niels Lorenzen, DTU
Session 8
Advancing animal welfare on farm, during transport and at the end of life
Geneviève Aubin-Houzelstein, INRAE
Session 9
Integrated approach on animal health and welfare including socio-economic aspects
Egil A. J. Fischer, UU
Organisation
Local host and co-organiser
- Monica Battini, UMIL
- Silvana Mattiello, UMIL
Conference Communication Team (CCT)
- Sophie Rocks, Surrey
- Samuel Ogbebur, Surrey
- Francesca Shepherd, Surrey
- Annalisa Falconi, IZSAM
Conference Management Team (CMT)
- Ludovico Sepe, BfR, chair
- Annemarie Käsbohrer, BfR
- Nathalie Vanderheijden, UGent
- Veronique Rebholtz, UGent
- Roberto La Ragione, Surrey
- Virginia Filipello, IZLER
- Marta Coppini, IZLER
Scientific Conference Committee (SCC)
- Barry Rockx, WUR, chair
- Anne Collin, INRAE, co-chair
- Jan Tind Sorensen, AU
- Florence Tardy, ANSES
- Søren Saxmose Nielsen, UCPH
- Pol Llonch Obiols, UAB
- Duncan Colquhoun, NVI
- Hein Imberechts, Sciensano
- Hans Spoolder, WUR
- Wim van der Poel, WUR
- Diane Drescher-Petersen, PTJ
Professional event organisation
