The Austrian State Prize for the Promotion of Alternative Methods to Animal Experiments 2025
Federal Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner presented the 2025 Austrian State Prize for the Promotion of Alternatives to Animal Testing to Eva Ingeborg Reihs, MSc, and Associate Professor Mario Rothbauer in the library of the Josephinum of the Medical University in Vienna on the 2nd of June 2026.
Through the Austrian State Prize for the Promotion of Alternatives to Animal Testing, the Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research recognises outstanding scientific work that contributes to replacing animal experiments, reducing the number of animals used, or improving the conditions of animals kept and used in experiments, in accordance with the 3R principle of “Replace, Reduce and Refine”.
Federal Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Eva Ingeborg Reihs, MSc, and Associate Professor Mario Rothbauer, © BMFWF/Valentin Brauneis (BKA).
Eva Ingeborg Reihs, MSc, and Associate Professor Mario Rothbauer, MSc, affiliated at the Medical University Vienna received the State Prize for Alternatives to Animal Testing for their scientific work, conducted jointly with collaborating partners and published in the scientific journal Advanced Healthcare Materials in 2025 under the title “An Animal-Free Patient-Derived Tissue-Mimetic Biochip Model of the Human Synovial Membrane for Human-Relevant Osteoarthritis Research”.[1]
As an alternative to animal models, the award recipients developed and applied an innovative, fully human-based and animal-product-free biochip model for osteoarthritis research. Using human cells, this model enables age-related structural and inflammatory processes in the synovial membrane to be reproduced and investigated. These scientific achievements may not only facilitate the future development of new treatment strategies for patients but also replace experiments on animals.
The international expert jury, which evaluated the research submitted for the State Prize and recommended the award recipients, considers not only scientific excellence and innovation but also the practical applicability of the alternative method developed.
“This State Prize recognises outstanding scientific work in the field of alternatives to animal testing. The award is intended to increase the public visibility of this research and encourage all researchers to continue their commitment to this highly important and forward-looking field,” said Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Federal Minister for Women, Science and Research.
The State Prize is endowed with 10,000 Euros and forms part of a package of measures implemented by the Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research to promote alternatives to animal testing. Further elements include funding for research projects on alternative methods in close cooperation with the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), as well as support for a national 3R centre dedicated to advancing the implementation of the 3Rs in research.
This time EUSAAT congratulates to the award winners and is extremely proud that two active members of EUSAAT received this prestigious recognition and extraordinary honour for the work.
[1] E.I. Reihs, A. Stoegner, M.G. Vasconez Martínez, et al. “An Animal-Free Patient-Derived Tissue-Mimetic Biochip Model of the Human Synovial Membrane for Human-Relevant Osteoarthritis Research.” Adv. Healthcare Mater.14, no. 23 (2025): 2404799. https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202404799
