Member Info

Michael Toscano

Michael Toscano

Working Group 3 Leader
University of Bern
Switzerland
"Dr. Toscano is the Group Leader of the Center for Proper Housing of Poultry and Rabbits at the University of Bern in Switzerland. Born and raised in the United States where he completed his PhD at Purdue University, he has held his position in Switzerland since 2013 after seven years of postdoctoral research at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Having attracted over 30 million USD in funding from multiple funders in Switzerland, the US, and EU, his research focuses on all aspects of welfare and housing for poultry and rabbits where his methodological expertise includes behavior, physiology, and management. Leadership in these areas has been most prominent within the theme of keel bone fractures with successful funding of an EU-COST Action (www.keelbonedamage.eu) that coordinated European research efforts and ensures information reaches stakeholders through a variety of mediums including videos, training schools, and seminars. Additional noteworthy topics beyond keel bone fracture include: expressions of behavioral individuality, determining appropriate feeder space, improving depopulation of end of lay hens, and identifying causal factors of piling behavior. His research contribution in the area of Animal Welfare has been recognized by the Poultry Science Association which awarded him their Poultry Welfare Research Award in 2016. He has longstanding and active collaborations with multiple industry partners, including the world's largest manufacturer of cage-free housing and suppliers of laying hen genetics. Beyond research, he also has an active teaching program, serves as the Poultry Science Behavior and Welfare Section Editor, and is a member of multiple Animal Science and Welfare related societies including: the Poultry Science Association, International Society for Applied Ethology, and the World's Poultry Science Association. "