Environmental contamination through a One Health lens

Thursday, May 23
11:30–12:30
Augustus I & II

The One Health triad refers to the connection between environmental, domestic animal, wildlife, and human health. One Health is thus, by definition, collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary, including veterinary, human medical, public health, biomedical, environmental, agricultural, wildlife professionals, and more. However, One Health has been most commonly considered and employed for infectious disease and biomedical research. As a result, rarely are all relevant sectors and disciplines of the One Health triad engaged in any particular project/effort, and a One Health perspective can be overlooked in many cases where it may be valuable. Given the modern complexity of multiple, anthropogenic stressors in our shared environment, there is an urgent need to more broadly cultivate a One Health perspective, including in disciplines/professions for which One Health has not necessarily been traditionally or routinely applied. Here, we will explore environmental contamination through a One Health lens, with lessons for expanding out of our professional silos and the importance of transdisciplinary-, community- and team-based approaches, with the goal of addressing the wicked problems impacting both human and animal communities around the globe.

Speaker Bio

Tracie Baker is an associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Global Health at the University of Florida and adjunct faculty in the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Department of Pharmacology in the School of Medicine at Wayne State University. Her lab focuses on multidisciplinary, translational research that bridges human, animal, and environmental health. She provides critical insights into environmentally induced disease by evaluating contaminant levels in global environments and using the zebrafish model to uncover the etiology of adverse health endpoints related to contaminant exposure. She earned her B.S. in biology and chemistry (Cleveland State University), an M.S. in marine biology (University of Alaska), and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and Ph.D. in molecular and environmental toxicology (University of Wisconsin).