Dr. rer. nat. Sandra Düpjan
Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN)
working group Animal Behaviour & Welfare
Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2
18196 Dummerstorf
working group Animal Behaviour & Welfare
Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2
18196 Dummerstorf
Research interests
- Bioacoustics
- Animal welfare
- Affective states in animals
- Animal cognition
- My research focuses on how animals express affective states (emotions, moods) in their behaviour. This includes bioacoustics analyses, but also studies on the interactions of affect, physiology and cognition.
Curriculum Vitae
- since 2023: Head of the focus topic "Individualising farm animal husbandry"
- 2021-today: Deputy Equal Opportunities Representative
- 2016-today: Permanently employed scientist at the FBN
- 2012-2016: Head of the Junior Research Group ‘Affective Behaviour’, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) Dummerstorf, Institute of Behavioural Physiology
- 2009-2012: Post Doc, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) Dummerstorf
- 2005-2008: Doctoral student, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) Dummerstorf; Doctoral thesis: ‘Stress-related acoustic communication in the domestic pig (Sus scrofa)’
- 2004: Diploma in biology, Bielefeld University (Germany)
Teaching
- Lectures on behavioural biology (University of Rostock, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences)
- Seminar/practical course on animal friendly husbandry (University of Rostock, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences)
- Lecture on new developments for Precision Livestock Farming (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel)
Publications
Reimert, I.; Amorim Franchi, G.; Bagaria, M.; Canario, L.; Bolhuis, J. E.; Düpjan, S.; Verbeek, E.; Fàbrega, E.; Juul Pedersen, L.; Telkänranta, H.; Eggert, A.; Moscovice, L. R. (2026):
Teaming up for welfare: a cross-institute approach to identify robust indicators of emotion in pigs
animal 20 (7): 101871, 1-17
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2026.101871
Jahn, S.; Düpjan, S.; Röttgen, V.; Jordt, J.-N.; Albrecht, S.; Homeier-Bachmann, T. (2026):
Integrating YOLOv8-pose for localization and behavior tracking of calves in precision livestock farming
Frontiers in Animal Science 6: 1718641, 1-17
https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2025.1718641
Wulf, R.; Demba, S.; Röttgen, V.; Langbein, J.; Düpjan, S.; Weise, B.; Rose, S.; Sixt, A.; Harms, J.; Steinhöfel, I.; Bruckert, H.-S.; Guhl, P. A.; Heppelmann, M.; Jahn, S.; Oettler, M. J.; Homeier-Bachmann, T.; Bachmann, L. (2025):
Invited review: Development of a dairy barn concept to improve animal welfare
Journal of Dairy Science 108 (11): 11757-11770
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2025-26627
Briefer, E. F.; Sypherd, C. C. R.; Linhart, P.; Leliveld, L. M. C.; Padilla de la Torre, M.; Read, E. R.; Guérin, C.; Deiss, V.; Monestier, C.; Rasmussen, R.; Špinka, M.; Düpjan, S.; Boissy, A.; Janczak, A. M.; Hillmann, E.; Tallet, C. (2022):
Classification of pig calls produced from birth to slaughter according to their emotional valence and context of production
Scientific Reports 12 (1): 3409, 1-10
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07174-8
Düpjan, S.; Dawkins, M. (2022):
Animal Welfare and Resistance to Disease: Interaction of Affective States and the Immune System
Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9: 929805, 1-6
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.929805
Krause, A.; Kreiser, M.; Puppe, B.; Tuchscherer, A.; Düpjan, S. (2021):
The effect of age on discrimination learning and self-control in a marshmallow test for pigs
Scientific Reports 11: 18287, 1-10
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97770-x
Düpjan, S.; Krause, A.; Moscovice, L. R.; Nawroth, C. (2020):
Emotional contagion and its implications for animal welfare
CABI Reviews 15: 046, 1-6
https://doi.org/10.1079/PAVSNNR202015046
Leliveld, L. M. C.; Düpjan, S.; Tuchscherer, A.; Puppe, B. (2020):
Hemispheric specialization for processing the communicative and emotional content of vocal communication in a social mammal, the domestic pig
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 14: 596758, 1-10
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2020.596758
Röttgen, V.; Schön, P.- C.; Becker, F.; Tuchscherer, A.; Wrenzycki, C.; Düpjan, S.; Puppe, B. (2020):
Automatic recording of individual oestrus vocalisation in group-housed dairy cattle: development of a cattle call monitor
Animal 14 (1): 198-205
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731119001733
Goursot, C.; Düpjan, S.; Tuchscherer, A.; Puppe, B.; Leliveld, L. M. C. (2019):
Visual laterality in pigs: monocular viewing influences emotional reactions in pigs
Animal Behaviour 154: 183-192
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.06.021
Goursot, C.; Düpjan, S.; Kanitz, E.; Tuchscherer, A.; Puppe, B.; Leliveld, L. M. C. (2019):
Assessing animal individuality: links between personality and laterality in pigs
Current Zoology 65 (5): 541-551
https://doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoy071
Baciadonna, L.; Düpjan, S.; Briefer, E. F.; Padilla de la Torre, M.; Nawroth, C. (2018):
Looking on the bright side of livestock emotions - the potential of their transmission to promote positive welfare
Frontiers in Veterinary Science 5: 218, 1-6
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2018.00218
Röttgen, V.; Becker, F.; Tuchscherer, A.; Wrenzycki, C.; Düpjan, S.; Schön, P.- C.; Puppe, B. (2018):
Vocalization as an indicator of estrus climax in Holstein heifers during natural estrus and superovulation
Journal of Dairy Science 101 (3): 2383-2394
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2017-13412
Röttgen, V.; Becker, D.; Schön, P.- C.; Tuchscherer, A.; Düpjan, S.; Puppe, B. (2017):
Auftreten vermehrter Vokalisationen im zeitlichen Zusammenhang mit dem Brunstverhalten bei Milchrindern. In: Aktuelle Arbeiten zur artgemäßen Tierhaltung 2017 : Vorträge anlässlich der 49. Internationalen Arbeitstagung "Angewandte Ethologie bei Nutztieren" vom 23. bis 25. November 2017 in Freiburg im Breisgau (KTBL-Schrift , 513) KTBL, Darmstadt (978-3-945088-53-1): 215-225"
Düpjan, S.; Stracke, J.; Puppe, B. (2017):
Sind Schweine Optimisten oder Pessimisten? Untersuchungsansätze zum cognitive bias beim Hausschwein. In: Emotionen und Stimmung bei Nutztieren (Nutztierhaltung im Fokus , Herbst 2017) Internationale Gesellschaft für Nutztierhaltung, München (978-3-9524555-5-5): 23-26
Leliveld, L. M. C.; Düpjan, S.; Tuchscherer, A.; Puppe, B. (2017):
Vocal correlates of emotional reactivity within and across contexts in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa). Physiol Behav 181: 117-126
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.09.010
Stracke, J.; Otten, W.; Tuchscherer, A.; Witthahn, M.; Metges, C. C.; Puppe, B.; Düpjan, S. (2017):
Dietary tryptophan supplementation and affective state in pigs. J Vet Behav 20: 82-90
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2017.03.009
Düpjan, S.; Puppe, B. (2017):
Wohlbefinden beim Hausschwein - Konzept und Indikatoren. Tieraerztl Umschau 72 (6): 218-225
Stracke, J.; Otten, W.; Tuchscherer, A.; Puppe, B.; Düpjan, S. (2017):
Serotonin depletion induces pessimistic-like behavior in a cognitive bias paradigm in pigs. Physiol Behav 174: 18-26
https://dx.doi.org//10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.02.036