From heading off the next global pandemic to improving food security in Canada’s North, tackling some of humanity’s most pressing health problems is the purpose of a new research and teaching institute at the University of Guelph.
The One Health Institute brings together multidisciplinary researchers from across campus along with external partners to study how human, animal and environmental health interact.
“It will help us solve complex problems at the intersection that cannot be solved by one discipline alone,” says Jeff Wichtel, dean of the Ontario Veterinary College.
Cate Dewey, U of G’s associate vice-president (academic) and a population medicine professor, adds: “About 70 per cent of new human diseases come from animals. We need to work across disciplines to understand how to handle the next problem.”
The goal is to spur collaboration and create synergies among existing centres and initiatives, including the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses.
Outcomes will promote academic research and outreach programs and propel U of G to the forefront of One Health scholarship internationally, says Dewey.