Our Staff
Dr Huw Golledge BSc PhD - Chief Executive & Scientific Director
Huw became Chief Executive and Scientific Director of UFAW and its sister charity, the Humane Slaughter Association in January 2020. Prior to taking up the role he was Senior Scientific Programme Manager for the two charities, overseeing many of their scientific activities.
Huw originally studied biology at University College London and then completed a PhD in neuroscience at Newcastle University. During this time, he developed a concern for the welfare of animals used in scientific research and went on to undertake research in laboratory animal welfare, also at Newcastle University. He was a member of the Home Office Animals in Science Committee from 2013-2016.
Huw is a strong advocate of evidence-based animal welfare and it is this that drew him to UFAW’s scientific, evidence-based approach to animal welfare. He is assisted in his duties by Gerda, the Miniature Schnauzer and Pete the cat.
Outside of work he likes to spend his time walking and taking photographs.
Dr Birte Nielsen BSc, MSc, PhD - Research Director
Birte Nielsen joined UFAW in September 2020, bringing with her a wealth of experience and in-depth knowledge to the role as Research Director. During the past three decades, she has worked with rats, growing pigs, dairy cows, broiler chickens and broiler breeders, as well as horses, sows, laying hens and even ostriches, carrying out research in basic and applied ethology and animal welfare.
Her dedication to animal welfare has seen her travel from Edinburgh in Scotland, where she spent eight years, via Denmark to Paris, France where she worked on the links between olfaction, behaviour, and neuroscience. She has been a member of various expert panels and working groups, such as Chair of the Danish Animal Welfare Council. She is a former President of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE), and has been the Independent Chair of the Global Coalition for Animal Welfare (GCAW).
Jane Moorman – Charity Secretary
Jane joined UFAW in July 2013 having brought with her over 25 years’ experience of working with the private and voluntary sector at a senior management level. Her responsibilities include sound financial management and reporting, property management, legacy administration, contractual negotiations, Charity Commission and Companies House compliance, and HR management and guidance. On a personal level she is an animal lover with a particular affection for dogs, having been brought up in a household of Boxers, and has been involved in the rehabilitation and rehoming of Dobermans, Irish Setters and now Pugs.
Luisa Teear - Scientific Communications & Outreach Officer
Luisa studied Bioveterinary Science at the University of West England (UWE), followed by an MSc in Veterinary Epidemiology at the University of London (Royal Veterinary College and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine).
It was whist working on research projects investigating methods for reducing the prevalence of disease in pig herds that she found her passion for science communication. Luisa enjoyed explaining the importance of the work to different groups of people including government officials, vets, scientists and farmers.
Having realised where her passion lies, Luisa moved on to work with animal welfare and veterinary organisations, helping them to convey animal health and welfare science to various audiences. Luisa joined the team at UFAW and its sister charity, the Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) in February 2022.
In her spare time, Luisa enjoys being trained and walked by her four border collies – Penny, Teddy, Roo and Rosie. Once the dogs are happy to rest, she enjoys watching sport (predominantly football and formula one) and musical theatre.
Eilidh Muir BA MCIOF - Fundraising Manager
Eilidh lives in the Highlands of Scotland with three dogs, one cat, eight chickens and four ducks. She joined UFAW and its sister charity the Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) in November 2023 and brings more than 15 years of experience in fundraising and events both in the UK and overseas in Australia, the USA and Africa. She graduated with a BA Law from the University of the West of Scotland in 2007 and has worked in the not-for-profit sector ever since.
As a passionate animal welfare advocate, she has a particular interest in the welfare of marine animals and has practical experience in the rehabilitation and care of sick and injured sea turtles from her time in Australia.
In her spare time, Eilidh is a keen wild swimmer and enjoys writing poetry, with her first book being published in the next few months!
Liz Carter BSc MSc – Scientific Officer
Liz studied Animal Health at Harper Adams Agricultural University before undertaking an MSc in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Edinburgh, carrying out the research element of her MSc at the UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre, Canada.
She first worked alongside UFAW when she was employed by their sister charity, the Humane Slaughter Association (HSA), to take the lead in organizing and running an international training workshop on welfare standards concerning the stunning and killing of animals.
Having enjoyed working with the UFAW/HSA team and seeing first-hand the great work that they do, Liz then accepted the role of Scientific Officer for UFAW. Since joining UFAW, she has continued to follow her interests in farm animal welfare, and was successful in being awarded a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship to look into the welfare of farmed bison, ostrich and crocodiles which involved travelling to Canada/USA, South Africa and Australia respectively.
At home Liz enjoys walking her rescue collie, Fidget, and attempting to train her few free-range hens on what not to eat in the vegetable garden.
Dr Stephen M Wickens BSc, PGCE, PhD – Development Officer
Stephen is an animal welfare scientist and ethologist who has worked for the UFAW for over 20 years. Concerned with improving the way we keep and care for animals, he is particularly interested in the welfare of companion and captive wild animals, and those that we interact with in the wild. He has also got very interested in the welfare of fish recently.
Stephen co-ordinates and manages UFAW’s programme of conferences and symposia, having organised meetings on wild bird care in the garden, animal populations – world resources and animal welfare, animal training, quality of life, consciousness and on recent advances in animal welfare science. He is also responsible for UFAW’s animal welfare science outreach programme, the LINK scheme, which consists of a network of 100+ universities and academics from around the world.
He has also worked with a number of external organisations – holding the post of council member of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) and Secretary of the ASAB Accreditation Committee, where he co-ordinated the setting up of a system for setting standards for those treating behavioural disorders in animals and validating universities offering suitable courses in the area, founding director and council member of the UK’s Animal Behaviour Training Council and treasurer of the International Society for Anthrozoology and is an observer on the Wild Animal Welfare Committee. He has been an external board member of Marwell Zoo’s Ethics Committee since 2006.
He currently pays the food bills and shares a sofa with Basil, a rescued stray tabby cat.
Dr Steve Weddell BSc BVSc MRCVS – Managing Editor
Born in Edinburgh in the Chinese year of the Monkey, Managing Editor Steve joined UFAW in July 2006. As a youngster, Steve harboured dreams of a career in sports journalism but a gap year in Australia working with Greenpeace nudged him in an altogether different direction. An HND in Biological Sciences, a spell as a keeper at Edinburgh Zoo and then back-to-back degrees in Zoology and Vet Science at Liverpool University followed.
When not working on UFAW's prestigious scientific journal Animal Welfare, Steve enjoys being dragged around various North Pennine beauty spots by his dogs Bear and Bertie with his wife, Janey and writing books about Scottish Football.
Dr Claire Richardson MA PhD FHEA MRCVS – Sub Editor
Claire is a veterinarian and animal welfare scientist. An important turning point in her career occurred in 2007 when she was awarded a UFAW PhD studentship in mouse welfare. After successfully completing her PhD, she has continued to work in the field of animal welfare. She is particularly interested in mice and dogs as well as reporting of animal welfare details in journals and other publications.
Claire works part time for UFAW and is a member of the editorial team. She is currently involved in co-editing the 9th edition of the UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory Animals and also plays a role in the charity’s journal, Animal Welfare.
Sam Griffin – Administrative Officer
Sam is UFAW’s longest-serving member of staff, having worked for UFAW for over 36 years. She joined UFAW in 1985 before computerisation of our offices and remembers the first computer arriving in 1986. She is responsible for the website, memberships and subscriptions, proof reading, some accounting, conference and symposia bookings and will have a go at more or less anything else that needs doing in the office!
In her limited spare time, she enjoys walking her lurcher and greyhound, looking after her very elderly horses and three cats, as well as hand-rearing and fostering nearly 200 rescue kittens for a local charity. Over the years she has competed across the country with her ponies in both ridden and driving classes and for many years took part in the annual harness horse parade in London. She also enjoys gardening and watching football, especially champions Liverpool, and eating chocolate!
Tina Langford MCICM (grad) – Finance Assistant
Tina joined the charities in January 2019 working part-time, having worked in the ‘not for profit’ sector for 18 years as well as in the private sector. She has a wealth of experience in a variety of areas within the field of finance and HR.
Tina is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management, gaining her degree 25 years ago. Her responsibilities include most areas of financial accounting tasks and office administration and she supports the Charity Secretary and the admin team where needed.
On a personal level she is a lifelong animal lover, having been brought up with a whole array of different animals. She has particular affections for dogs and horses and supports a Wolf Rescue Centre by adopting one wolf in their pack. Tina is also an adrenaline junky, completing a number of challenges over the years. For charity, she has taken part in ‘Ride The Night’ 100k cycle twice and trekked to Machu Picchu.
