Kathrin Herrmann

Dr. Kathrin Herrmann is a veterinary specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics & Law with a PhD in Biomedical Sciences. Her career spans academia, government, and advocacy, unified by a commitment to advancing humane, human-relevant science and strengthening animal protection through education, policy, and systemic reform.

Since 2017, she has been a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She works at the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), where she directs the Beyond Classical Refinement and Education Programs. In this role, she teaches and mentors students and scientists in humane science and animal ethics, helping to accelerate the transition toward human-relevant research while embedding animal protection within a public and planetary health framework. In parallel, she serves as Research Lead at the nonprofit organization Animals Australia, where she conducts evidence-based policy analysis on animal research, industrial farming, and the human-animal relationship, with a strong emphasis on the interconnections between animal welfare, human wellbeing, and planetary health.

From 2020 to 2025, Kathrin served as the Animal Protection Commissioner of Berlin, acting as the political representative for non-human animals. In this role, she advised the state government and informed the public on all matters relating to animal protection, including critical legal and policy reform; administered public funding for animal protection initiatives and animal-free research; and led wide-reaching public education efforts. These included campaigns, lectures, and webinar series on wildlife protection, companion animal welfare, humane science, and the urgent need to reduce meat and animal product consumption for the benefit of animals, human health, and the environment.

Drawing on her experience across academia, government, and advocacy, Kathrin's work critically examines and challenges the political and economic structures that enable animal exploitation, including the animal agriculture industrial complex. Her research, policy engagement, and public education activities are grounded in a commitment to justice for non-human animals and to accelerating the transition toward humane, animal-free systems.