Dr. Tara Abraham is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Guelph and her current research focuses on exploring how American psychiatry entered the medical field and gained legitimacy as a form of medicine. She also wants to examine how adding psychiatry as a medical specialty changed psychiatrists’ perceptions of themselves as professionals.

Dr. Abraham views health as a very complex item that is made up of many interconnected elements. There are social determinants, human impacts, environmental impacts, social economic status, race, gender, and more. The three One Health pillars are all connected and
impact the health of each other. We have seen this with many historical pandemics and epidemics, all three pillars are impacted by and affect the other pillars.

When using a One Health approach Dr. Abraham believes that historical research can help to make sense of the present. One Health is about tackling current problems in health and doing so with holistic and interdisciplinary approaches and historical research can look at past health crises, pandemics, problems, social inequalities, and understand how they occurred in the past to make better decisions today.

One of Dr. Abrahams’ favourite parts of being a part of the One Health faculty is being able to interact with students from many different departments and fields.

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2023. Authored by Sarah Makepeace, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

Dr. Joey Bernhardt is an Assistant Professor and integrative ecologist in Department of Integrative Biology whose research focuses on how living systems respond to global change. Her research primarily explores the impact of climate change on aquatic biodiversity and the consequences to humans from a nutritional perspective. 

A One Health approach is the foundation of Dr. Bernhardt’s work exploring the impact of climate change at the organism, population, and community levels.  Through her research on seafood and human nutrition, Dr. Bernhardt explores how climate change impacts the health and biodiversity of ocean communities, including “blue foods”, such as shellfish, seaweed, and fishes. This work also examines the consequences of climate driven biodiversity changes on communities who rely on blue foods. When asked how a One Health approach benefits this research, Dr. Bernhardt shared, “I’ve been thinking about humans as part of ecosystems for a long time… If we don’t consider all the components, we don’t understand the whole system.” 

Dr. Bernhardt believes that research which crosses disciplinary boundaries is essential for addressing major global challenges such as food security, climate change, and emerging disease. To inform her research goals, Dr. Bernhardt works with local and indigenous communities to understand their needs. “Building trust with community members fosters reciprocity,” says Dr. Bernhardt. “What we do is mutually beneficial in many ways, and we always try to prioritize the needs of the community.”

Although transdisciplinary work can be time consuming for relationship building, involving indigenous communities provides valuable information on how these communities are being impacted by climate change and what questions they want answered.

               Dr. Bernhardt is grateful for the opportunity to explore research questions that are truly inspiring, and to be part of University of Guelph and One Health community.

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2024. Authored by Samantha Hobson, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

Dr. Ruben Burga is re-imagining the management world. At the forefront of this new approach is a key focus on sustainability, social responsibility, and accessibility.

As an Assistant Professor in Management at Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics and the Graduate Coordinator for MSc Management, Dr. Burga is passionate about developing diverse leaders, teachers, and learners who are engaged and committed to accountability. In his research and teaching, he is a proponent of transdisciplinarity and ‘Big S’ sustainability – a holistic approach to business and organizational management that integrates environmental, social, and economic progress.

“Context is everything” says Dr. Burga, “and central to my work is ‘Big S’ sustainability.”

Dr. Burga weaves these concepts of sustainability and transdisciplinarity into all of his research streams. In his research in project management, he explores how organizations interact as a team, and how accountability is created within an effective team. In another stream of research, he conducts community-driven research projects to facilitate entrepreneurship in underserviced groups – identifying barriers and capabilities unique to both immigrants and Indigenous peoples in their engagement with entrepreneurship.

Dr. Burga also researches transdisciplinary pedagogy. As the University Teaching Leadership Fellow in Interdisciplinary and Experiential Teaching and Learning, Dr. Burga is creating a teaching framework for educators at the University of Guelph that emphasises experiential learning through various forms, such as service and community-engaged activities.

Dr. Burga’s involvement with One Health ties into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In his roles as a researcher and an educator, he works at the intersection of many SDGs: quality education (4), economic growth (8), reduced inequalities (10), responsible consumption and production (12), and partnerships (17).

“In particular, [SDG 3] relates to well-being. Social and mental health control how we work together on a project. That social interaction also extends to how students learn.”

When addressing complex One Health problems, it is essential to consider their diverse impacts on various groups and multiple levels of organization. Project management and conflict resolution skills play a crucial role in developing sustainable solutions at the human-animal-environmental interface. Dr. Burga’s work is propelling the next generation of entrepreneurs to be leaders in accountability, sustainability, and inclusion.

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2024. Authored by Marilyn Sheen, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

As the human population continues to grow, it is important that we learn how to balance the needs of resource production, housing, and environmental conservation. Dr. Wayne Caldwell conducts research with a focus on land use planning and building healthy rural communities, with current projects focusing on the relationship between aggregate production and agriculture, and farm diversification and economic benefit.

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2021. Authored by Daniel Bayley, Collaborative Specialization in One Health.

Dr. Catherine Carstairs is a medical historian at the University of Guelph. In the past she has investigated pro-vaccination campaigns in Canada. Her work currently focuses on contemporary vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Carstairs was interested in the One Health institute as she saw promise for future projects. To date, her work has only very peripherally dealt with zoonotic diseases, but she is interested in exploring this further. . Some aspects that she currently applies to her work are transdisciplinary and collaboration. This past year Dr. Carstairs collaborated with Dr. Amy Greer from the department of population medicine to organize a witness seminar of the COVID-19 pandemic. This collaboration helped Drs. Carstairs reach populations within the other’s networks.

Dr. Carstairs believes that environmental historians have done the most work along these lines – she mentioned that the work of Mitchell Hammond is excellent as well and he really integrates a One Health Approach.

Dr. Carstairs is excited and hopeful about the future of One Health and its application to the field of history.

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2023. Authored by Keana Shahin Moghaddam Rashty, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

Dr. Sherri Cox’s research at the University of Guelph focuses on improving the welfare of wildlife impacted by human activities while preserving ecological balance. By establishing optimal care protocols and promoting knowledge dissemination, her efforts focus on mitigating the effects of human interference and improving outcomes at both individual and population levels in Canada.

Dr. Cox’s work ensures that animals like beavers and bears, vital to ecosystem integrity, receive care that allows them to continue fulfilling their ecological roles. This includes careful management of diseases like distemper and chronic wasting disease, ensuring only healthy animals are reintroduced after rehabilitation.Dr. Cox’s research supports entire ecosystems by focusing on targeted interventions to help animals critical to their habitats. Her current projects and work with the National Wildlife Centre highlight the importance of maintaining healthy populations for overall ecosystem health. Her research also mitigates human-wildlife conflicts and zoonotic disease transmission by educating the public on safe wildlife interactions and the risks associated with infectious diseases such as highly pathogenic avian influenza and toxoplasmosis, which can affect both animals and humans.

Adopting a One Health approach has allowed Dr. Cox to foster a collaborative atmosphere at the University of Guelph, enhancing the integration of interdisciplinary research and bringing together knowledge holders from various fields, such as non-academic wildlife rehabilitation staff, to tackle complex environmental and health issues. This transdisciplinary approach has broadened the scope of her research and ensured its practical application, making findings accessible and beneficial to both academic and public stakeholders.

Dr. Cox has worked to solve the issue of lead toxicity in wildlife, such as Trumpeter swans, due to hunting with lead bullets. By educating relevant stakeholders and the public about the health risks associated with lead and promoting non-toxic alternatives, her team has taken a transdisciplinary approach to reducing the detrimental effects of lead in the environment on both wildlife and human health.

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2024. Authored by Valentina Gonzalez Rodriguez, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a serious threat to global health by diminishing the effectiveness of antibiotics, which can be addressed through understanding livestock health management. Researcher Dr. Anne Deckert of the Ontario Veterinary College is part of a collaborative team in public health surveilling AMR in swine to safeguard human and animal health.

Dr. Anne Deckert’s research at Canada Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS) involves monitoring trends in AMR and factors impacting those trends, such as how health status and demographic information within swine production systems impact antimicrobial use. Close interactions between livestock and humans can result in exposure to resistant organisms, so assessing different uses of antimicrobials and understanding those that are important in human medicine is critical to livestock management and mitigating AMR. Surveillance of AMR allows Dr. Deckert to identify potential problems or areas that need more research in antimicrobial use and identify new and emerging diseases in swine.

Using a One Health approach with CIPARS has expanded the reach and applications of Dr. Deckert’s research, such as identifying trends between human health and swine health. Her work in public health has helped individuals directly working with livestock understand what AMR is. While a challenge to the One Health approach has been the limited understanding of livestock production systems within public health, her expertise has improved the understanding of livestock production within public health. Further environmental monitoring of AMR is peripheral to Dr. Deckert’s work; however, there are developing opportunities for collaboration with organizations to expand our understanding of the breadth of AMR.

Dr. Deckert has been on several graduate committees involving AMR use and is excited to start full time at OVC in a swine health management position in February 2024 to become further involved with the university.

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2023. Authored by Nellissa Stalenhoef, Collaborative Specialization in One Health.

Humans have a complex relationship with microbes, and it turns out that the soil does too.

Understanding how soil microbes work is essential to addressing global issues such as food security and climate change. A research team led by Dr. Kari Dunfield at the Ontario Agricultural College is quantifying microbial processes in the soil to predict when and how they will affect the environment.

“The world is interested in reducing agricultural inputs and creating healthier soil systems.” says Dunfield.

Soil microbes play an essential role in maintaining plant and soil health. The agricultural industry heavily relies on chemical inputs of nutrients and pesticides for plant growth.  One key focus of Dunfield and her team is examining the impact of factors such as sustainable farming practices on microbial processes critical to agriculture. Dunfield hopes that the results from this project will help farmers optimize crop yields, while reducing their dependence on chemicals, therefore, minimizing their impact on humans, animals, and the environment.

Dunfield is also studying climate smart agricultural practices that store soil organic matter and decrease key greenhouse gas emissions such as nitrous oxide as a byproduct.

More recently, Dunfield and her team have been collaborating with experts in engineering and animal health to investigate the broader role that microbes play in environmental health.   Some of their efforts include examining the potential of microbes to bioremediate oil spills, characterizing the soil microbiome in regenerative grazed pastures, and evaluating the effects of microplastic on the soil ecosystem.

She also describes how One Health has helped her research.

“One Health has allowed me to really tackle more than one question at a time.” says Dunfield. “Being able to work with motivated students and experts from the animal and wildlife side has been great.”

Dunfield’s research is funded by her CRC position, NSERC, and the Food from Thought research program.

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2022. Authored by Henry Ngo, Collaborative Specialization in One Health.

A multidisciplinary research approach is applied in studying the social and political effects of a shift towards “expert citizenship” as a means to address the consequences of climate change for the humans, animals, and the environment in the regions of Ladakh and Zanskar in the Indian Himalayas. With a focus on climate change and its effects on glaciers and snowfall precipitations, Dr Karine Gagné, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph, uses her anthroplogy background to explore through ethnographic research how citizens use their own expertise to address the consequences of climate change and abandonment by the state.

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2021. Authored by Cyril Akwo, Collaborative Specialization in One Health.

In a constantly changing world, how do interactions between host and pathogen influence health? Dr. Jennifer Geddes-McAlister and colleagues study how fungal pathogens interact with host cells in changing environments, shedding light on important human, animal, and plant fungal diseases.

Cryptococcus species are ubiquitous in the environment, existing as dried spores that can be inhaled and cause disease in immunocompromised individuals. Another fungal genus, Fusarium, infects cereal grains (for example, wheat, barley and corn), diminishing crop quality and producing mycotoxins that can sicken both humans and livestock when the food product is consumed. Dr. Geddes-McAlister’s research program uses mass spectrometry, proteomics and bioinformatics to describe the multitude of cellular host-pathogen interactions when host and fungal cells are exposed to stressors, like temperature change or coinfection with a bacterial pathogen. With this information, researchers can better understand how virulence factors and host immunity change in response to stress and a fluctuating environment. Ultimately, this work can contribute to improving resilience to disease, advancing clinical treatments, and help elucidate the mechanisms of antifungal resistance.

This One Health approach addresses the challenge of fungal disease by drawing connections across human, animal and environmental aspects of the research program. For example, research findings may impact clinical treatment of humans and animals, while also providing clues on plant health and food security in the face of a changing climate. Additionally, it serves to make results more translatable across multiple disciplines and health sectors. Dr Geddes-McAlister notes that the team’s international collaborations have increased when using this approach, proving that One Health can be both an anchor term and inspiration for new connections.

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2023. Authored by Alaina MacDonald, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

Dr. Lauren Grant and MSc student, Carys Vyn, are investigating social and environmental risk factors for canine leptospirosis. She says, “It is a unique opportunity to consider the risk factors for canine leptospirosis through a One Health perspective.”

Leptospirosis is a true One Health issue because of the strong, direct links between animal health, human health, and environmental health. Leptospira can be transmitted to humans from animals or the environment via direct contact with infected animal urine or through urine- contaminated soil or water. She highlights that “Dogs have a particularly interesting role in transmission because they potentially interact with both wildlife, the environment, and humans.”

Leptospirosis is a climate-sensitive bacterial and zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the genus, Leptospira, which can infect humans and animals and is found worldwide. In humans, there is a disproportionate burden of disease in low- and middle-income countries. Dr. Grant discusses the importance of investigating the upstream factors and impacts of canine leptospirosis on population health and outcomes. “We can now investigate questions like the cost-benefit of intervening further upstream on certain risk factors, which up until recently was not possible due to the traditional siloed analysis of human, animal and environment health.” Her research team’s investigation aims to link different health data to provide novel social and environmental risk factor information.

A One Health approach has “absolutely changed” the way Dr. Grant conducts research. When asked about how a One Health approach impacts her research, Dr. Grant explains, “It allows me to investigate multiple outcomes of interest, whether that is foodborne diseases or zoonotic diseases or translational health outcomes, because One Health defines a way of thinking about problems that can then be applied to lots of different problems. Having mechanism to link the interdependencies between the health of animals, humans and the environment is exciting!”

Dr. Grant shares how a One Health approach has helped her to overcome barriers of traditional research approach. “As a new faculty member, I am establishing my own niche and to invest time and resources to develop that expertise and establish new lines of independent investigation can be a little daunting.”  She goes on to explain that being interested in different areas often challenged the building of her own research program. However, a One Health approach promotes broad, interdisciplinary thinking across a range of exposures and outcomes. “It’s a perfect fit for me as a researcher and helped me to overcome my concerns. One Health promotes diversity of thinking and that is something I hope to continue to reflect in my research program.”

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2022. Authored by Chloe Carducci, Collaborative Specialization in One Health.

Environmental water sources serve as invaluable tools for understanding complex microbial interactions and their consequent health impacts. Dr. Marc Habash of the School of Environmental Sciences studies these complicated environmental systems, including agricultural run-off and more recently wastewater, to detect enteric waterborne pathogens. Through this research, One Health has allowed for an “interactive evaluation” of what is truly happening within these ecosystems, shedding light on possible alternative fecal indicators and the implementation of policy. In addition to providing valuable information of human and environmental health, these indicators can allow for microbial source tracking of animal species such as cows, pigs and other wildlife.

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2022. Authored by Hailey Davidson, Collaborative Specialization in One Health.

Imagine a computer program that can effectively diagnose you, your pets and plants. The work of Dr. Andrew Hamilton-Wright and colleagues cross-pollinates concepts from distinct biological disciplines to form computational models that mirror mammalian and plant physiology. Thus far, his research has helped clinicians identify neuromuscular diseases with ease and his machine-learning algorithms are getting us a step closer to unveiling physiological derangements in numerous biological systems.

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2021. Authored by Ziyad Elgamal, Collaborative Specialization in One Health.

With increasing anthropogenic and climate related impacts, rapid growth of algae or cyanobacteria, otherwise known as harmful algal blooms, is becoming more common in freshwater ecosystems. Dr. Andreas Heyland’s lab in Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph in collaboration with Dr. Hanner’s lab (U of G, Integrative Biology) is investigating the ways in which organisms in these systems process environmental information and the biotic and abiotic interactions that impact algal blooms.

The formation of these algal blooms is driven by specific micro-algal species, that take advantage of nutrient influxes, particularly during summer months when temperatures are higher. Algal blooms can impact the wellbeing of aquatic species as well as any animals that consume water from the lake. Accumulation of toxins in filter feeders like oysters and mussels can lead to economic losses following the closure of shellfish harvesting waters. Finally, blooms can also compromise human health through recreational water exposure and present health challenges to those living near cytotoxin producing blooms.

With so many contributing factors, understanding algal blooms requires an integrated One Health approach. Heyland’s work specifically, particularly targets biotic factors contributing to the microbiome of small recreational lakes in Ontario. These could include nutrient inputs that are often conveyed to the system through runoff. Increasing our understanding of these factors may help identify early markers that may facilitate the growth of algae.

To do this, experiments are conducted from both a physiological perspective and by characterizing biodiversity within the system. Because these ecosystems are relatively understudied in comparison to larger lakes and marine systems, there is a significant amount of work that must be done to characterize the baseline of the system before attempting to understand the effects of algal blooms on animals and the environment. Therefore, the challenge of incorporating all aspects of One Health is also a feature of the work, allowing researchers to acknowledge the complexity of the system rather than isolating one axis.

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2024. Authored by Carly Dinga, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

As the regional director of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) for Ontario and Nunavut, Dr. Claire Jardine, an Associate Professor in Pathobiology, investigates patterns and impacts of wildlife diseases through their national wildlife health surveillance program. Their interdisciplinary team utilizes a One Health approach to collect important baseline disease information, which allows them to identify new and emerging health issues in wildlife and determine threats for human and domestic animal health.

For example, when highly pathogenic avian influenza was first discovered in a Red-tailed Hawk in Ontario, poultry producers and veterinary practitioners were informed of the nearby risk, which allowed them to take additional precautions to protect the health of their livestock. Additionally, wildlife surveillance information on West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne disease, is shared with local public health units to inform risks for humans. Conducting passive and targeted surveillance across Canada allows the CWHC to investigate potential environmental drivers of disease, and how changes in affected populations impacts surrounding ecosystems.

One of the challenges that comes with working with an interdisciplinary team is understanding the different research approaches and terminology that are unique to various academic and government backgrounds. What helps overcome this is by investing time at the beginning of the project to build a supportive and communicative team environment, which allows collaborators to learn from one another, and set clear goals that are understood by
everyone on the team. Having a collaborative, interdisciplinary team ensures that the CWHC is using the best techniques for their projects, and it allows them to consider the broader effects on animals, humans, and the environment, thus improving the quality and impact of their work.

By performing Canada-wide surveillance, Dr. Jardine’s work with the CWHC contributes to important information that is used to help evaluate and improve local, provincial, and national policies. Using a One Health approach to disease surveillance allows the CWHC to recognize important impacts on wildlife health at the human-animal-environment interface, which contributes to a greater understanding of disease dynamics and risks for other species

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2023. Authored by Carys Vyn, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

Dr. Candace Johnson is a political scientist at the University of Guelph investigating reproductive rights in North America following the overturning of Roe vs. Wade in 2022. Her research aims to investigate reproductive justice at the Canada-United States and United States-Mexico borders, analyzing how knowledge and misinformation impacts reproductive freedom in these countries.

Dr. Johnson employs a One Health approach in many of her projects, emphasizing transdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement. As a political scientist, she uses her social science knowledge in collaborative, transnational initiatives that address all three pillars of One Health. A notable example of this is her work on a project that explored the political, social, and gender implications of the Zika virus. Big theoretical questions and connecting different, and sometimes opposite, areas of knowledge are the core of Dr. Johnson’s research, and, to advance these large-scale projects, she consistently utilizes interdisciplinary collaboration.

The One Health approach encourages transdisciplinary research, enhancing dialogue between researchers and ultimately creating a comprehensive understanding of the research problem.  Utilizing a transdisciplinary approach broadens the impact of Dr. Johnson’s research, allowing findings to inform policies that address reproductive rights while considering the needs of the community. The collaborative nature of the One Health approach has streamlined the research process for Dr. Johnson, facilitating partnerships with various disciplines that enhance the quality and scope of her studies.

A challenge that Dr. Johnson has faced in One Health research is the need to recognize and incorporate more social scientists in this field. Insights from social scientists are crucial for understanding the complex social, cultural, and behavioral factors that influence health outcomes.

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2024. Authored by Breanne Murray, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

Dr. Edward A. Koning is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Guelph and is a One Health affiliated faculty member. He interfaces with the One Health Institute by attending One Health seminars and by being open to new students that want to take a One Health approach in their own research. Besides obtaining his PhD from Queen’s University in Political Studies, he is also an author of several books which include Immigration and the Politics of Welfare Exclusion: Selective Solidarity in Western Democracies (2019) and The Exclusion of Immigrants from Welfare Programs: Cross-National Analysis and Contemporary Developments (2022).

To Dr. Koning, One Health is defined by its ideas of interdisciplinarity and collaboration, and the environment it creates for academics that fosters new ideas and approaches to complex issues. Despite this environment, Dr. Koning believes that there are still barriers in the field of political science for collaboration. For example, there are many political science journals that could reject research that is too broad, but he is hopeful that is changing as more and more interdisciplinary journals are founded.

Dr. Koning’s own research prioritizes two major fields in the politics of immigration. The first is the complex interactions and dynamics involved in the access to benefits for immigrants. The second involves understanding populist anti-immigrant politics and investigating the facts about welfare chauvinism. Ultimately, his research seeks to cultivate healthy public debate, and to discover a deeper understanding of the complex political machinery that governs these issues.

In the context of One Health, his research primarily focuses on the pillars of human and environmental health. Immigrants access to social programs—including healthcare, is a major determinant of health both physically and mentally. Additionally, a political mainstream that prioritizes populist anti-immigrant politicians and their policies, or a mainstream that supports welfare chauvinism, can negatively impact the social environments that immigrants or minorities live in and thus can expose them to greater health risks. Furthermore, the impacts of institutional racism and in-group/out-group dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted key areas of improvement in immigration policies that shaped both the social environment, and human health.

Dr. Koning states that a challenge for him in One Health is that it can be difficult to understand others due to disciplinary differences, that when two disciplines come together, it can be like “speaking another language”. Over time he hopes that as One Health becomes more common, that these disciplinary differences may become less of a barrier to communication and collaboration efforts.

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2022. Authored by Daniel Blizzard, Collaborative Specialization in One Health.

Although harder to see than the surface water, like lakes and streams, that Canadians are used to, groundwater is an important source of water for consumption in rural areas, farming, and industrial uses. Dr. Jana Levison, an associate professor in water resources engineering, is concerned with the quality and quantity of groundwater and conducts research on the impacts of agriculture and climate change.

Monitoring groundwater provides important information for human health, especially for people who use well water that pulls directly from groundwater. With no municipal treatment of water, households can unknowingly consume contaminated water. Excess nutrients and pollutants in groundwater can also impact delicate ecosystems that rely on groundwater fed water sources and make animals that drink the water sick.

“I focus on groundwater but thinking about the entire water cycle is very important because groundwater flows along and then eventually discharges to streams and tributaries or on a deeper scale, directly into the Great Lakes… it’s really all connected.”

Also important is the monitoring of groundwater quantity; as climate change continues and population growth puts pressure on our natural resources, water scarcity may become a more critical issue for people, animals, and ecosystems that rely on our current abundance of natural water sources.

For Dr. Levison, using a One Health approach helps to put together the larger picture of what’s going on with our groundwater.

“Working at those intersections of different disciplines really helps with problem solving and coming up with unique approaches.”

Linking the technical side of her research to other disciplines helps to get a better view on how it impacts areas outside her specialty and pushes her to think outside the box. A memorable example for Dr. Levison was working out how to scale water quantity data down for collaboration on a project about salamander population modelling. Through partnerships with biologists, ecologists, and veterinarians she’s been a part of several multidisciplinary projects that highlight how important groundwater is to our environment, our food, and our health.

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2022. Authored by Laura Zehr, Collaborative Specialization in One Health.

It is widely proven that Indigenous stewardship has supported the sustainable management of traditional lands and resources, but until more recently, conservation approaches have disregarded the social and cultural importance of these protected areas and have exclusively focused on species that are identified as being at risk or in decline by Western science. Recognizing the importance and significance of Indigenous stewardship for the land is critical for implementing lasting conservation strategies, as well as supporting Indigenous land and Treaty rights.

Dr. Faisal Moola’s People, Plants, and Policy (3P) lab, conducts research on the ethnoecology of cultural keystone species (CKS), particularly wild berries, in order to radically reform policy by advancing and supporting new policy mechanisms that are better aligned with Indigenous peoples’ rights and livelihoods. His research uniquely integrates human wellbeing and ecosystem health through ecological stewardship and conservation of the Canadian boreal.

Since Dr. Moola’s research is interested in boreal forest conservation management, forest ecosystems and boreal animal species within these ecosystems, such as woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) and black bears (Ursus americanus), are impacted through implemented conservation strategies and policies. In addition, species within these ecosystems are important for providing certain ecosystem services, which ultimately benefit humans, further adding to the interconnectedness of his research.

Dr. Moola works closely with Mi’kmaq peoples and is determined to integrate multiple forms of knowledge through the use of the Two-Eyed Seeing approach (a fundamental tenet of Mi’kmaq knowledge), which leverages both Indigenous and Western knowledge in order to provide a more holistic solution that considers all stakeholders.

Dr. Moola’s lab leverages a One Health approach through incorporating transdisciplinarity. The 3P lab is made up of scholars, students, and Indigenous partners, which allows his research to transcend the traditional barriers created by colonialism between Western science and Indigenous knowledge. While the collaborative nature of his work is an asset, it can also be challenging at times to overcome certain power dynamics that have transpired as a result of colonialism.

When attempting to integrate both ways of seeing in order to influence policy decisions, the evidence provided through Western science methods tends to take precedence, which only reinforces this power dynamic. For instance, access to CKS, as well as their cultural use is in decline, but these species are not considered at-risk through current Western science measures, and therefore not regulated under endangered species law or protective laws.

To overcome this challenge, Dr. Moola is attempting to modify the way our policy mechanisms currently prioritize and accept Western-based metrics as a means of implementing conservation strategies, with policy that recognizes the importance of Indigenous stewardship of the lands and territories.

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2023. Authored by Cora Jules, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

Each year millions of gastrointestinal illnesses in Canada and the US are attributed to consuming water from untreated private wells contaminated by human and animal waste. OVC researcher, Dr. Heather Murphy, is conducting the WET Trial to understand if treating well water will reduce disease burden to ultimately support equitable access to safely managed drinking water for rural underserved communities.

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2021. Authored by Catherine Belanger, Collaborative Specialization in One Health.

Dr. Susan Nance, a professor in the Department of History and affiliated with the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare at the University of Guelph, researches how and when people have used animals for entertainment and how artificial environments shape these interactions. Her goal is to draw insights from historical human-animal-environment relationships to promote multispecies equity, enhance animal welfare awareness, and communicate lessons from history that can inform our future.

Dr. Nance’s research contributes to animal, ecosystem, and human health by examining historical relationships between species and the impact of colonialism and capitalism on these dynamics. In her book, Bellwether Histories:Animals, Humans, and US Environments in Crisis, she and her co-authors highlight neglect and misunderstanding of the interconnectedness of species in the past, to inspire more equitable cross-species relationships in the present. Linking animal welfare science research and historical methods, her work exposes how the fates of people and animals are inter-reliant, even in artificial settings like rodeos, circuses, or wild animal shows. Dr. Nance also investigates the history of wildlife trafficking in the U.S., which not only threatens wild animal populations but also endangers human populations through increased disease risk, inaccurate public understandings of the needs and histories of wild and exotic animals, and public safety and health dangers caused by pet owners who unknowingly acquire exotic animals they are unprepared to care for.

Dr. Nance’s One Health research enhances life at Guelph and informs future studies by providing historical lessons that expose unethical or unsustainable patterns in human behavior today. A challenge in One Health is effectively translating knowledge across diverse platforms and publications, and to researchers in many disciplines. Dr. Nance addresses this by sharing engaging summaries and quotes from her work, helping audiences access her publications and connect with historical insights on human-animal-environment relationships through different historical stories.

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2024. Authored by Tsai-Ping Liao, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

As the human population continues to grow, urban sprawl and changing ecosystems have introduced novel stressors and selective pressures on wildlife species such as the grey squirrel. Dr. Amy Newman and her lab are working diligently to further understand the impact urban environments and ecosystems have on stress physiology and immune functioning of the grey squirrel population.

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2021. Authored by Sydney DeWinter, Collaborative Specialization in One Health.

I am grateful to Dr. Andrew Peregrine, who offered an hour of his time for my One Health faculty interview. Dr. Peregrine is a One Health researcher (“before One Health was called One Health”) whose research focuses on the alveolar echinococcosis tapeworm. Prior to 2009, there had been no instances of this tapeworm within North America (with the exception of one case in Alaska) (Peregrine, 2023). However in 2009, a 3-year old dog was diagnosed in British Columbia, and in 2012, a 2-year old dog was diagnosed in Ontario. Since that time, 8 cases have been diagnosed in southern Ontario, and another 28 in the rest of Canada – all of which are within a 200 km radius.

The adult parasite resides in the small intestine of definitive hosts. Definitive hosts are typically wild canids such as wolves, foxes and coyotes, but can include dogs. The eggs are shed in the feces of the definitive hosts, which become infective to intermediate hosts. Intermediate hosts can include people, which makes this tapeworm a zoonotic threat.

The problem at hand is the rapid emergence of this tapeworm, combined with its severity if left untreated (100% fatality [Kotwa et al., 2019]). It is also very expensive to treat, and treatment occurs for the remainder of life (Peregrine, 2023). The work of Dr. Peregrine highlights where this tapeworm is most likely to be found, and successfully made alveolar echinococcosis the first tapeworm reportable for both humans and animals. Its rapid emergence resulted in a national task force dedicated to its surveillance, and put this tapeworm on the radar of physicians in order to successfully manage human presentations.

Understanding where this tapeworm is most likely to present is critical for veterinarians and physicians, particularly in these regions. Successfully diagnosing this tapeworm is necessary for survival, so being aware of its clinical presentation as described in Dr. Peregrine’s research is crucial. Understanding how quickly and where this tapeworm is developing is important for public health due to its zoonotic nature.

Just as the alveolar echinococcosis tapeworm affects human and animal health, it is affected by how conducive its surrounding environment is to optimal transmission. Temperature and humidity influences the ability of eggs to survive, so understanding ecosystem health is relevant when considering the viability of this tapeworm.

Dr. Peregrine is very enthusiastic about the One Health approach. An interdisciplinary team can answer research questions that an individual researcher would be unable to address. In the opinion of Dr. Peregrine, the perspective of a team is inherently more balanced than the perspective of one individual, and therefore the most pressing research questions at hand are more likely to be addressed as a result.

While Dr. Peregrine has always encouraged interdisciplinary research, the formality of the One Health approach has made interdisciplinary research more common at the University of Guelph. The challenge with improved interdisciplinary research is that the broader the scope of the research, the more difficult it is to get funding. Dr. Peregrine believes that funding is still the primary obstacle facing the One Health approach and concept, as a result of the increased breadth of the research.

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2023. Authored by Emma Harris, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

Improving the overall health of children and youth with moderate to severe psychiatric illness is a priority, as indicators of poor health are commonly reported by this population (e.g. low physical activity, poor nutrition, and unhealthy use of personal technology devices). Dr. Michèle Preyde from the University of Guelph, child and adolescent psychiatrists, and multi-disciplinary teams have documented the poor biopsychosocial health and behaviours of youth accessing intensive mental health care. Next, they are hoping to research ways to improve the overall health of these youth, like fostering their connection with nature via promoting outdoor activity.

It is widely accepted that spending time in nature is beneficial to physical, mental, and social health, and many studies have reported strong associations between nature contact and health outcomes among youth. By creating opportunities for youth with moderate to severe psychiatric illness to engage in positive activities in parks or wilderness settings, Dr. Preyde’s team hopes to simultaneously improve health outcomes among this population of youth and provide opportunities for them to become stewards of their local ecosystems. This research has potential long-lasting health benefits for both youth and the environment.

Dr. Preyde is a professor in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition whose research involves populations who access intensive mental health care or hospital-based care. Her team has designed multiple studies to investigate the psychosocial impacts of illness, including bettering supports available for parents of infants in the NICU, and investigating the psychosocial impacts of cancer among adults. The impact of Dr. Preyde’s research investigating the psychosocial impacts of illness has been enhanced using One Health as an approach, because it reinforces the importance of biopsychosocial health and wellbeing.

Thanks to Dr. Preyde for taking the time to be interviewed for the One Health Institute page.

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2024. Authored by Rochelle Thompson, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

Dr. Ryan Prosser is a researcher out of the School of Environmental Sciences whose interests include the field of ecotoxicology, in particular the risks of microplastics and agricultural pesticides, on aquatic and soil-based ecosystems. The goals of his research are to determine whether these chemicals pose a significant impact at environmentally relevant levels, with the overarching goal to reduce the negative impact of chemical use on the wider environment and ecosystems.

In many ways, Dr. Prosser’s research interacts with the health of ecosystems, animals, and humans; by investigating the impacts of societal-use of chemicals on foundational ecosystems – there are major bottom-up trophic-level consequences which interact with the health of wildlife, agriculture, and ultimately humans. His work sheds light on the potential long-term health effects through both direct and indirect interactions with man-made toxins, especially microplastics. Dr. Prosser’s research exhibits direct links to One Health in the form of environmental impact assessments dealing with the complex interactions of how economic and social gains intersect with the negative ecological impacts of chemical production associated with man-made toxins.

Dr. Prosser’s research is contextualized within the framework of One Health through highlighting the interconnectedness of environments, human well-being, and ecosystem-services. Some of the ways Dr. Prosser has been able to implement One Health methodologies were seen during his research on optimizing feed and fish health with freshwater aquaculture in the Great Lakes. In pursuing a transdisciplinary approach by working with both regional industry and First Nations stakeholders; he had overcome difficulties associated with the conflicting missions among these groups. In doing so, Dr. Prosser was able to bridge the gap between economic interests and environmental stewardship.

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2023. Authored by Riley Oremush, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

Dr. Nicole Ricker is an assistant professor in the Pathobiology department at the University of Guelph. Also, she is a One Health-affiliated faculty member. Her research focuses on understanding how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) distributes within bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of livestock. Her group study not only pathogens but also commensal bacteria within the microbiome of the animals. They are also developing a surveillance platform (DARTE-QM)1 to collect AMR data across a One Heath spectrum.

This research contributes to animal health by studying the diversity of AMR present within animals to help prioritize which antimicrobials can be used or which ones should be removed from common use, to have the best options available for the farmers. This can inform policy in terms of knowing what AMR is there and monitoring for emerging AMR. For the surveillance project, one of the goals is to understand whether policy changes in antimicrobial use are having the desired effect or not (decrease of AMR or increase of a different AMR as a result of those changes). The research monitors AMR genes directly from diverse sources, including fecal samples, the food chain, and the environment (soil, water, wastewater).

Using a One Health approach has improved the collaboration with a broad diversity of other researchers with a common goal: to improve public health policies related to antimicrobial use. For that, they communicate through a One Health perspective with not only people from the animal context but also with people in wastewater surveillance and environmental sampling, and they communicate and coordinate to find share targets to monitor over time. Most of the collaborators are from Guelph and government agencies across Canada.

One of the challenges this research has is trying to understand the role different sectors play in AMR emergence. To understand whether the AMR that we see in hospitals is the same that we see in animals and whether there is a direct correlation, it is essential to improve surveillance across the different sectors. This is a challenging goal that, if achieved, can help to identify mitigation strategies for emerging AMR in both animal and human health sectors.

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2022. Authored by Manuel Perez Maldonado, Collaborative Specialization in One Health.

Settler colonialism is foundational to how we govern, extract, and manage fall-out from the extraction of natural resources. Dr. Anna Stanley, an Assistant Professor from the Department of Geography, Environment & Geomatics is dedicated to research that uncovers settler colonial structures and that supports Indigenous resistance movements.

Her work has both direct and indirect benefits to human health by addressing land alienation, ecosystem disruption, toxic exposure of people and ecosystems, and by deconstructing the social systems and structures that create harm in the first place. Social systems and ecosystems are inextricably linked. Working to address settler colonialism and extractivism therefore benefits animal and environmental health, firstly by deepening our understanding of the root causes of environmental contamination, and secondly by supporting Indigenous land defense and anti-colonial land relations.

Dr. Stanley’s approach to research is core to who she is as a scholar and a person, and has been a journey of learning from and listening to Indigenous scholars and practitioners, as well as colleagues and students. A challenge she faces is how to responsibly engage settler colonialism, and Indigenous lived experiences of settler colonialism, without being extractive herself. She attempts to overcome this by critically reflecting on her own positionality, and politically orienting her research to critique structures of settler colonialism and to support Indigenous resistance.

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2023. Authored by Britteny Kyle, Collaborative Specialization in One Health

Social behaviours can have a range of impacts on the health of an individual, a population and even a community with new or additional interactions causing potential domino effects of disease transfer. Humans are having dramatic effects on the natural world, altering the quality and distribution of habitats, and subsequently influencing the methods and frequencies of inter and intraspecific animal interactions.

Dr. Quinn Webber recognizes this problem as one uniquely suited to a One Health approach because of the need to proactively monitor wildlife social behaviours and distributions to protect human and animal health by preventing future disease outbreaks. Dr. Webber’s research specifically investigates how environmental and behavioural variations play a role in the fitness and disease outcomes of bat and caribou populations in Ontario and Newfoundland respectively. The environments of these species make them ideal models for testing hypotheses concerning how habitat alterations influence behaviour and disease as these two systems represent the higher and lower ends of direct human impact. As these study systems span a large distance and involve multiple habitats, jurisdictions, species, and human communities, Dr. Webber has created a network of experts from many disciplines to form a team with broad skills to tackle these complex projects.

Dr. Webber believes that the greatest asset of using a One Health approach is collaboration and improved communication, allowing for those from different backgrounds to come together to tackle complex problems in ways which previously did not seem possible. The collaborative nature of One Health is an asset, but it is also one of the biggest challenges of using the approach. To overcome this hurdle, in Dr. Webber’s experience, stepping outside of your comfort zone and connecting with other disciplines via conferences, seminars, or job boards helps to strengthen your network and reduce the challenges of creating an interdisciplinary team.

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2022. Authored by Alexandria Cosby, Collaborative Specialization in One Health.