Elin Törnqvist

Elin Törnqvist

Affiliated to Research
Telephone: +46852488517
Visiting address: Nobels väg 13, 17177 STOCKHOLM
Postal address: C6 Institutet för miljömedicin, C6 Integrativ toxikologi Öberg, 171 77 Stockholm
Part of:

About me

  • I am an affiliated researcher at the Institute of Environment Medicine, Department of 

  • Integrative Toxicology where I do research/communication projects and 
  • teaching. My engagement is within the field of the 3Rs (Replace, Reduce,  
  • Refine). The principles of the 3Rs means replacing animal models in research 
  • with non-animal based methods, as well as improving animal models with fewer 
  • animals and increased animal welfare. Since 2017 I am a member of the Swedish 
  • 3Rs center’s steering board and the National Committee for the protection 
  • of Animals used for Scientific Purposes.


    I have a background as a veterinarian, with many years of experience in 

  • animal welfare and legislation from different sectors and especially when it
    comes to ethical use of animals for scientific purposes. My research carrier 
  • started in the field of immunology at the Swedish University of Agriculture 
  • followed by a post doc at the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease 
  • Control. In my research projects, I combined mechanistic studies in cell 
  • models with explorative studies in pigs, mice and children to increase the 
  • understanding of development of immunological memory after vaccination.


    My interest and engagement for translation and extrapolations between 

  • different research models and between species and the 3Rs grew further as I 
  • was employed at the Safety Assessment unit at AstraZeneca R&
  • D, Södertälje,  
  • Sweden. I was responsible for the 3R organisation at the unit, which gave me 
  • valuable management experience regarding internal development, testing and 
  • implementation of 3R-ideas in the frame of regulatory toxicity testing of 
  • pharmaceuticals. I continued this work as a specialist at Swetox, a national 
  • research center consisting of eleven Swedish universities, where I managed 
  • Swetox 3R-platform combined with 3R teaching and research.

     

  • Today, I work as head of departement of animal health and antimicrobial strategies at the Swedish Veterinary Agency.

     

  • PhD in Veterinary Medicine, Swedish University of Agriculture (SLU) 2002
    ”Effects of Immunostimulatory DNA in the pig – Induction of 

  • immunoregulatory cytokines by plasmid DNA, virus or bacteria”
    Licensed Veterinarian, D.V.M., Swedish University of Agriculture (SLU) 1995

Research

  • My research is focused on modern methods for Replacement, Reduction and Refinement of animal-based research models. All 3Rs are included in my research today: studying 3R awareness in different target groups and research areas (mainly Replacement), development of methods to improve study design in toxicity testing and to increase scientific outcome with fewer research 

  • objects (Reduction), and development of new handling methods for rodents used 
  • in research (Refinement).

     

  • Current research projects as main project leader:
    * Understanding and attitudes to the 3Rs in students at the Master's 

  • programme in toxicology

    * Enkätundersökning om attityd och förståelse gällande 3R hos forskare 

  • på Karolinska Institutet
  • Financial support: Torvald och Britta Gahlins stiftelse för 
  • stöd av vetenskaplig forskning som kan bidra till att förfina, minska
    och ersätta djurförsök)

     

  • Other research projects:
    * Alternative methods for developmental toxicity testing (PI: Ylva 

  • Sjunnesson, Swedish University of Agriculture
  • Financial support: Swedish 
  • Research Council)

Teaching

  • I do different types of education / communication activities (lectures,  

  • seminars, workshops, group activities) for bachelor and master students, and
    for technicians, veterinarians, researchers, mangers at laboratory animal 
  • facilities at universities and private organisations. Other target groups are
    high schools, politicians, authorities and general public.


    The research council Formas has supported two communication projects for Replacement of animal models in toxicity testing aiming at increasing awareness and use of non-animal based methods in risk assessment. Within these projects illustrations and films are produced on the Replacement theme for use in both teaching and communication.

     

  •  

  • I am involved in national strategic projects for education and communication in the Swedish 3Rs Center’s steering board and the National Committee for the protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes. I have produced teaching material for high school students (gymnasietnivå) about the 3Rs for free use for high school teachers, published at Forskning, djurf&
  • ouml
  • rs&
  • ouml
  • k och 3R (gratisiskolan.se).

     

  • I have produced teahcing material about the 3Rs in national Swedish mandatory courses infor FELASA A and B competence for students and researchers, organized and financed by the Nordic Consortium for Laboratory Animal Science Education and Training (NCLASet). The Consortium for Laboratory Animal Science was founded as a Laboratory Animal Science (LAS) Education and Training co-operative to help the member organisations meet the requirements initially formulated in the European Directive 2010/63/EU.


    There is certainly a need to increase awareness of the 3Rs and development 

  • and implementation of modern methods that Replace, Reduce and Refine animal 
  • models used in research and teaching today. Since development of modern 
  • methods has been substantial recent years, there is a lack of teaching 
  • material that is up to date within the 3R area.

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