Professor of Laboratory Animal Science. Ancillary positions: • Project Leader, EU-project: ‘Promoting alternatives to animal testing through accessible and harmonised education & training’ (09.200200.A092004/2021/864077/SUB/ENV.B.2) • Member of the editorial board of Animals (MDPI open access publ.) • Vice-President of the Institute of Animal Technology, UK • Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Willy van Heumen Foundation, The Netherlands • Member of the editorial board of the laymen publication ‘Dierproeven: Zo doen ze dat!’, Stichting Informatie Dierproeven • Ad hoc specialist (till 30 June 2024) and Council of Accreditation member (from 1 July 2024 onward) for the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International • Chairman of LERU’s Advisory Group on animals used for scientific purposes • Chairman of the Executive Committee of Laboratory Animals Ltd., Director of the Company and Charity Trustee • Member of the Editorial Board of Laboratory Animals Journal • Member of the Dutch National Committee for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes (2010/63/EU - Article 49) • Vice-chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Fondazione Guido Bernardini (“Better education for better science”), Milan, Italy

More information about Jan-Bas Prins

Professor of Laboratory Animal Science.

Ancillary positions:

• Project Leader, EU-project: ‘Promoting alternatives to animal testing through accessible and harmonised education & training’ (09.200200.A092004/2021/864077/SUB/ENV.B.2)
• Member of the editorial board of Animals (MDPI open access publ.)
• Vice-President of the Institute of Animal Technology, UK
• Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Willy van Heumen Foundation, The Netherlands
• Member of the editorial board of the laymen publication ‘Dierproeven: Zo doen ze dat!’, Stichting Informatie Dierproeven
• Ad hoc specialist (till 30 June 2024) and Council of Accreditation member (from 1 July 2024 onward) for the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International
• Chairman of LERU’s Advisory Group on animals used for scientific purposes
• Chairman of the Executive Committee of Laboratory Animals Ltd., Director of the Company and Charity Trustee
• Member of the Editorial             Board of Laboratory Animals Journal
• Member of the Dutch National Committee for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes (2010/63/EU - Article 49)
• Vice-chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Fondazione Guido Bernardini (“Better education for better science”), Milan, Italy

Animal experiments

Acquiring knowledge on housing and care, environmental factors and experimental conditions in relation to welfare of animals used in scientific research. Dissemination of that knowledge is through scientific publications and through education, training and research programmes in collaboration with the wider scientific community and active communication including contributions to public communication. The 3Rs of replacement, reduction and refinement of animal testing are the guiding principle.

The education programme focusses on training in all aspects of animal science, including ethical and moral aspects and social responsibility of those preparing for and involved in animal research.

The research programme covers the effects of housing and care, environmental factors and experimental conditions on the welfare of animals used in scientific research. We are currently investigating how vocalisations and behaviour of mice can help us monitor and improve welfare. Providing policy advice on animal experimentation is an important part of the remit.

Academic career

Master’s degree with honours from the Wageningen University in the Netherlands (31 March 1983). PhD in Laboratory Animal Science, promotor Prof. Dr. L.F.M. van Zutphen at the University of Utrecht, 4 October 1990. Post-doctoral projects at the University of Oxford, UK (1990-1994), and the Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands (1994-1996). Head of the pre-clinical division of the Department of Pulmonary Diseases at the Erasmus Medical Centre (1996-2002). Head of the Central Animal Facility of the Leiden University Medical Centre, LUMC, in the Netherlands (2002-2018). Director of the Biological Research Facility of the Francis Crick Institute, London, UK (2018-2024). Professor of Laboratory Animal Science at the LUMC and the University of Leiden. Inaugural lecture, entitled: ‘Animal welfare, who cares?’ on 12 May 2017.

Activities