The Animal Experiment Council

The Animal Experiment Council evaluates every application for animal experiments in Denmark. The applications are assessed during Council meetings and the Council decides whether animal experimentation permission for each application can be granted or not. 

The Council members

The Animal Experiment Council consists of a chairman, who must be a judge, and 10 council members, each with an alternate member. All are appointed by the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries for a 4-year term.

The members of the council represent different areas and are appointed following a statement from various organizations/associations.


Christian Lundblad (chairman)

President of the Court at Frederiksberg (chairman of the council since 2010).


Bente Lakjer

CEO, The Danish Society for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (member of the council since 2010) 

Alternate member: Rosemary Goddard Svendsen.

Both appointed by the animal protection societies.


Dorte Bratbo Sørensen

Associate professor, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen (member of the council since 2010).

Alternate member: Kirstine Øvlisen, Safety Pharmacology & Early Toxicology, Novo Nordisk A/S.

Both appointed by The Danish Council for Independent Research.


Elin Jørgensen

Veterinarian, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm
Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen (member of the council since 2022).

Alternate member: Inge Larsen, Assistant Professor in Pig Health, University of
Copenhagen, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.

Both appointed by the animal protection societies.


Helle Vestergaard Petersen

Head of the animal facility at the Danish Cancer Society (member of the council since 2019).

Alternate member: Daniel Hargbøl Madsen, Junior Group Leader, Tumor Stroma and
Matrix Immunology group and Head of Animal Facility, National Center for Cancer
Immune Therapy, Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital.

Both appointed by the disease fighting NGOs.


Joh Vinding

Director at Anima (member of the council since 2021).

Alternate member: Julie Fjeldborg, Associate Professor, veterinarian, ph.d., Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

Both appointed by the animal protection societies.


Karsten Vig Jensen

Retired farmer (member of the council since 1994)

Alternate member: Peter Mollerup,Chairman Peter Mollerup, The Organisation for cooperation of animal welfare groups (DOSO)

Both appointed by the Board of Animal Ethics.


Kirsten Rosenmay Jacobsen

Veterinarian, CSO at Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs (member of the council since 2017).

Alternate member: Janne Koch, Designated veterinarian and senior scientist, LEO Pharma.

Both appointed by the animal protection societies.


Lars Bo Svendsen

​Professor of Oncological Surgery in Upper GI Diseases, Rigshospitalet (member of the council since 2010).

Alternate member: Kathrine Just Andersen, Veterinary Scientific Officer, Danish Medicines Agency.

Both appointed by the Danish Health and Medicine Authority.


Mikkel Lykke Jensen

Veterinarian, Chief Scientific Officer, Scantox A/S (member of the council since 2017).

Alternate member: Helle Northeved, Veterinarian, Senior Vice President, Non-clinical Safety Research, H. Lundbeck A/S.

Both appointed by the the Confederation of Danish Industry.


Tobias Wang

Professor, Aarhus University, Head of section for Zoophysiology Department of Biology (member of the council since 2022).

Alternate member: Preben Dybdal Thomsen, Professor, dr. med. vet., University of Copenhagen, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.

Both appointed by the Danish Council for Independent Research | Medical Sciences.