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Back Qian (Vivian) Liu, PhD Viral Zoonoses Assistant Professor, Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University Zoonotic diseases (zoonoses) are infectious diseases that originate from animals and subsequently infect humans. RNA viruses are the primary etiological agents of human emerging pathogens, occupying up to 44% of all emerging human diseases. Paramyxoviruses are negative-stranded RNA viruses with great zoonotic potential. Members include established human pathogens (e.g. Measles virus) and emerging deadly zoonotic viruses (e.g. Nipah and Hendra viruses). My lab is interested in understanding the infection and transmission of zoonotic viruses in humans and animals. Specifically, we study the mechanisms of virus entry and assembly and how viruses hijack and/or evade host factors during these processes. By combining super-resolution imaging, novel fluorescence labelling, and optogenetic tools, we provide precise structural and behavioural information to dissect virus-host interactions during viral infection and transmission. Our research sheds light on novel antiviral development. Learn More

OHAP is the product of cooperation between diverse leaders, experts, and stakeholders, all working together to help our trainees expand their knowledge, skills, and experience so that they can go on to devise transformative solutions to existing OH challenges. One Team Against Pathogens OHAP is the product of cooperation between diverse leaders, experts, and stakeholders, all working together to help our trainees expand their knowledge, skills, and experience so that they can go on to devise transformative solutions to existing OH challenges. Jennifer Ronholm, PhD Program Director Dr. Jennifer Ronholm is the Canada Research Chair in Agricultural Microbiology, an Associate Professor, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of McGill University, and the primary applicant and Program Director of NSERC CREATE in One Health Against Pathogens (OHAP). Dr. Ronholm’s research interests include using the latest next-generation sequencing techniques to study the overall intestinal microbiome of ruminants, the effect of feed and husbandry on the ruminant microbiome, and if certain microbial populations are correlated with higher-quality and improved-safety animal food-products. The long-term overarching goal of this research is to understand and harness the power of the ruminant microbiome to generate healthier cattle herds. Learn More Brooklyn Frizzle Associate Program Director Brooklyn is a recent graduate in Microbiology and Immunology with experience in multidisciplinary undergraduate research and nonprofit administration. Their research focuses included asteroidian chronobiology, Poecilia reticulata behavioural studies, and Arthrobacter globiformis bacteriophage discovery and characterization. As Associate Director, Brooklyn acts as a resource person for co-applicants, collaborators, and trainees, ensuring their mutual success. They oversee all aspects of the program including its training mission, funding and budgeting, recruitment, communications, official reporting, and event planning. Contact Brooklyn Interdisciplinary, Interinstitutional OHAP is a collaboration between ten co-applicants from McGill University, the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Guelph, and l’Université de Montréal. Co-Applicants Partners Against Pathogens Our expanding network of government and nonprofit partners helps shape our training goals and approaches while providing advice and opportunities to our trainees. Through their involvement, our collaborators bridge gaps between academia and the public sector, encouraging sustainable inter-sector cooperation in one health. Collaborators Government & Non-Profit Office of the Chief Science Advisor Fisheries and Oceans Canada Tahatikonhsontóntie'

Back Maarten Voordouw, PhD Parasitology, Disease Ecology Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan Dr. Maarten Voordouw is an Associate Professor in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. The causative agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi , often consists of many genetically distinct strains. One of my main research interests is understanding how this strain diversity is maintained in nature. Our research is currently focused on three topics: Variation in host tissue abundance, transmission, and pathology among strains of B. burgdorferi ; Ability of maternal antibodies to protect offspring from infection with B. burgdorferi ; and Multiple-strain infections and interactions between strains in the host or tick vector. Learn More

Back Emily Jenkins, DVM, PhD Parasitic Zoonoses Professor, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan Dr. Emily Jenkins is a Professor in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, at the University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, Canada. Her research takes a One Health approach to diseases that transmit among animals and people via food, water, vectors, and the environment. She has graduated over 50 undergraduate research and graduate students and produced over 120 peer-reviewed publications. She co-leads the University of Saskatchewan One Health Signature Area, serves as a Canadian representative to the Terrestrial Working Group of the International Arctic Science Committee, and sits on the Canadian Parasitology Expert Panel. Learn More

We pair the discipline-based research skills our trainees acquire during their traditional thesis research work with the advanced systems thinking needed to develop, evaluate, and modify context-specific policies to prevent and control the spread of FWVZ pathogens. The Policy Challenge Each year, our collaborators and co-applicants assemble a unique case study based on real-world public health challenges involving FWVZ pathogens. These case studies form the basis of our Annual Policy Challenge, a year-long project culminating in a five-day retreat at the Gault Nature Reserve of McGill University, where w e challenge our trainees, working in interdisciplinary teams, to pitch innovative policy solutions and outreach strategies to a panel of stakeholders across government and academia. Our Third Annual Policy Challenge For our Third Annual Policy Challenge, our Masters and PhD trainees joined forces in six unified teams, each tackling a unique public health question centred around the pressing topic of antimicrobial use and growing resistance. To learn more about the six challenge questions and the context behind them, check out our Participant's Guide . (Pictured below, attendees of the third annual retreat) 2026 Participant's Guide Policy Solutions Six hybrid teams of Master's and PhD trainees were asked to propose policy briefs addressing the issue of rising antimicrobial resistance and related topics. You can read their proposals here. Team 1: Gillian Cameron, Yihan He, Natalia Lorenc, Yuxiao Lu, Jinha Suh, and Suhao Yin Building an Integrated National One Health Surveillance System for AMR and AMU in Canada Team 2: Sienna Brennan-Raab, Sarah Dickson, Ivan Drahun, Alexandra Foley-Eby, Cody Koloski, and Kira Mudrey Opening the Canadian Market for the Expedited Approval of Antibiotics of Last Resort (ALR) Team 3: Marianne Djigo, Alice Hou, Fiona Hui, Kyle Story, Shamsuddeen Yusuf Ma'aruf, and Supun Manathunga How could Canada Improve Novel Antibiotic R&D Incentives? Team 4: Rafael Fernandes Ferreira, Jessica Hainault, Leslie Herrera Guerrero, Marie Zoé Lapierre, Pierre-Luc Longchamps, Salomé Plat, and Ben Sakdinan Team 5: Hesham Adam, Melika Amoueian, Laurianne Bédard, Kirsten Campbell, Ethan Done, Lishita Rowjee, and Taylor Volappi Why the Canadian Federal Government Should Not Encourage Delayed Prescriptions Broad Spectrum Awareness: Strengthening Public Knowledge on Antimicrobial Resistance in Canada Team 6: Sarah Clarke, Zoé Cros, Jonathan Rekve, Parichay Raj Subedi, Irelynd Tackabury, Yarina You, and Alla Yushchenko Regulating Environmental Contamination of AMs and ARGs Originating from Agricultural Practices Our Second Annual Policy Challenge For our Second Annual Policy Challenge, Masters and PhD trainees joined forces in four unified teams, each tackling a unique public health challenge, all centred around the increasingly focal issue of pathogen monitoring in wastewater. To learn more about the four challenge questions and the context behind them, check out our Participant's Guide . (Pictured below, attendees of the second annual retreat) 2025 Participant's Guide Policy Solutions Four hybrid teams of Master's and PhD trainees were asked to propose policy briefs addressing the issue of wastewater monitoring for pathogens. You can read their proposals here. Team 1: Evidence-Based Wastewater Surveillance: Guiding Municipal Policy for Public Health and Environmental Monitoring Fiona Hui, Hesham Adam, Marie-Zoé Lapierre, Parichay Subedi, Rafael Fernandes Ferreira, Salomé Plat, and Sarah Donald Team 2: Wastewater Monitoring of Incoming Aircraft at Canadian Ports of Entry Alla Yushchenko, Ben Sakdinan, Cody Malone, Kyle Story, Paul Glenn, Pierre-Luc Longchamps, and Taylor Volappi Team 3: The Identification of Cryptic Viral Lineages in Wastewater: Protecting the Privacy of Canadians in Wastewater Surveillance Gillian Cameron, Giuliana Leonarda Matta, Jinha Suh, Melika Amoueian, Natalia Lorenc, Yihan He, and Yuxiao Lu Team 4: Validation and Approval of Measles (Morbillivirus Hominis ) Wastewater Monitoring Methods Alexandra Foley-Eby, Amanda Williams, Cody Koloski, Ivan Drahun, Kira Mudrey, Kirsten Campbell, and Yuxin Hu Our First Annual Policy Challenge Our first Policy Challenge was a year-long activity, culminating in a week-long retreat hosted at McGill's Gault Nature Reserve. The event featured speakers from organizations like Health Canada, the Office of the Chief Science Advisor, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, alongside prominent voices from academia. The last day of the retreat was punctuated by final presentations from our PhD and Masters students, showing off their policy proposals and promotional media. The Question Lecture Slides Lecture Recording An effective human vaccine against Lyme disease has existed since the mid 1990's. However, the anti-vaccine movement and subsequent disappointing vaccine uptake led the manufacturer to discontinue its commercial production. Thousands of people are now needlessly suffering from Lyme disease and symptoms associated with post-Lyme disease. While new vaccines are currently in stage three clinical testing, some fear they may meet the same fate. What public policies need to be put in place in Canada to ensure access to safe and effective vaccines against Lyme disease for those who want to be immunized? Policy Solutions Three teams of our PhD trainees were asked to propose policy solutions addressing the issue of Lyme disease vaccinations. You can find the policy briefs they created to pitch their proposals here. Lyme Disease Vaccine for Canadians: Policy Brief Ivan Drahun, Alexandra Foley-Eby, Cody Koloski, & Yuxiao Lu Lyme Disease Prevention: Enhancing Vaccine Access and Public Awareness Initiatives Gillian Cameron, Fiona Hui, Natalia Lorenc, & Alla Yushchenko Towards Trust: Policy Initiatives for Vaccine Confidence through Transparency and Education Audrey Corbeil, Rafael Fernandes Ferreira, Cody Malone, & Taylor Volappi Promotional Media Our Masters' students were tasked with creating promotional media, with three students paired with PhD teams to promote their policy proposals and one student promoting Lyme awareness. Promotional Media: Towards Trust Giuliana Matta Promotional Media: Lyme Disease Vaccine for Canadians Sarah Donald Promotional Media: Lyme Disease Prevention Yuxin Hu Promotional Media: Lyme Disease Awareness Paul Glenn

Back Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, Dipl ACVIM Veterinary Internal Medicine Professor, Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph Dr. Weese is a veterinary internist and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. He is a Professor at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Director of the University of Guelph Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, and Chief of Infection Control at the Ontario Veterinary College Teaching Hospital. He is also a member of the Tripartite Global Leaders Group on AMR, Chair of the WHO Advisory Group for Critically Important Antimicrobials in Human Medicine and runs the infectious disease website WormsAndGermsBlog . He has a focus on infectious diseases, particularly emerging diseases, antimicrobial resistance and diseases and the human/animal interface. Learn More

We train graduate students to think holistically and take a One Health approach to global health crises. Are you a future One Health leader? Get in touch with our Program Coordinator to learn more. CONTACT US The OHAP program is primarily administered from the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry at McGill University's Macdonald Campus. Phone (514) 398-7923 Address 21,111 Rue Lakeshore, St Anne de Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3V9 Canada For General Inquiries OHAP Associate Program Director Brooklyn Frizzle brooklyn.frizzle@mcgill.ca OHAP Program Director Jennifer Ronholm, PhD jennifer.ronholm@mcgill.ca Our Partner Schools University of Guelph Lawrence Goodridge, PhD goodridl@uoguelph.ca Université de Montréal Christopher Fernandez Prada, PhD christopher.fernandez.prada@umontreal.ca University of Saskatchewan Maarten Voordouw, PhD maarten.voordouw@usask.ca

Our Trainees Health agencies at all levels of government recognize the importance of One Health training in monitoring and containing FWVZ pathogens in Canada and around the world. Scientists with experience in public policy are equally in demand in private industry as they navigate the regulatory frameworks for new drugs and diagnostic tests. To stop the transmission of FWMZ pathogen transmission, scientists must learn to effectively communicate facts and evidence with the public, media, and policymakers. Our trainees are One Health-minded scientists with the skills needed to navigate complex social and political landscapes and support the development of regulations to manage global health crises. Our Universities All Brock University McGill University University of Guelph University of Saskatchewan Université de Montréal Cohorts All 2023 2024 2025 2026 Degree Programs All Doctoral Master's 2024 Hesham Adam Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan Lyme disease is an emerging tick-borne disease in Canada and is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi . This spirochete resides in the skin of the vertebrate host. I will explore the impact of B. burgdorferi on the bacterial microbiome in the skin of mice and the ticks that feed on these mice. 2026 Tarini Amarasinghe Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University My project aims to understand the mechanism of sex differentiation of the parasite Schistosoma mansoni through investigation of female-specific long non-coding RNAs, the only unique genetic elements of the female W chromosome, in cercariae and developing schistosomulae. 2024 Melika Amoueian Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University I have recently graduated from the University of Tehran with a Bachelor's degree in microbiology, and my research interests revolve around investigating the interactions between hosts and parasites, particularly viruses like Nipah. Currently, my project is focused on exploring the antiviral mechanisms of IFITMs against NiV. 2026 Sayani Bhattacharyya Département de pathologie et microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire My work primarily focuses on maping the form and repertoire of EV-associated DNA using EV-ATAC, nuclease-protection assays, Illumina/Nanopore sequencing, ddPCR, and cryo-ET/immunogold followed by, the identification and validation of packaging machinery with dual screens, this is further followed by targeted knockouts/conditional alleles and harmonized read. 2025 Sienna Brennan-Raab Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University My research focuses on understanding how environmental factors, like increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, can affect crop resilience. I will be investigating the effects on pathogen virulence and identifying pathogen-resistant bean genotypes. This insight into agricultural productivity and sustainability is vital for addressing current and future food security challenges. 2025 Laurianne Bédard Département de sciences biologiques, Faculté des arts et des sciences, Université de Montréal Aiming to develop accessible and effective nature-based solutions, I investigate the potential of treatment wetlands—harnessing plant-microorganism interactions—for water purification. My PhD research addresses the global antimicrobial resistance crisis by evaluating an innovative wastewater management practice in colder climates and assessing its impacts on both ecosystem and human health 2023 Gillian Cameron Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University Gillian’s PhD thesis focuses on how copper affects the pathogen Legionella pneumophila . Her research aims to characterize the environmental conditions and mutations that lead to the emergence of copper resistance in L. pneumophila and examine the efficacy of using copper in Legionella control. 2024 Kirsten Campbell Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University Kirsten graduated with a BSc in Microbiology and Chemistry from the University of Victoria. Her Master's thesis focuses on placental malaria and the role extracellular vesicles play in the disease. Her research aims to uncover vital biomarkers to provide early diagnosis and to discover novel host defence mechanisms. 2025 Sarah Clarke Department of Integrative Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph My research focuses on the development of novel methods for the isolation, identification, and characterization of food-borne pathogens. My PhD work will investigate the genomic and phenotypic factors that facilitate the persistence of pathogenic bacteria in low-moisture foods, which will then be leveraged to develop genomic characterization pipelines used in part to perform risk assessment of strains identified through regulatory monitoring programs. 2023 Audrey Corbeil Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal My PhD thesis interests revolve around extracellular vesicles (EVs), with a focus on the protozoan parasite Leishmania . My project aims to characterize this parasite and their EVs in the context of drug resistance and RNAi pathway modifications to gain a better understanding of their influence on parasite-parasite and parasite-vector interactions. 2025 Zoé Cros Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University I am researching how environmental factors shape the gut microbiome and disease resilience in trout. By comparing wild and farmed trout microbiota, I aim to understand how microbial diversity impacts infection resistance. This research could help reduce antibiotic overuse in aquaculture, lowering the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). 2026 Laurence Daigle Département de pathologie et microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire My PhD project is part of a broader initiative to develop sustainable, community-led rabies co-management as a climate change adaptation. My research focuses on identifying community-specific barriers and facilitators to rabies reporting and vaccination, and on developing a pilot Community Vaccinator Training and Certification Program to support long-term regional capacity. 2025 Sarah Dickson Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University Sarah Dickson is a recent graduate of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she obtained her MSc in Epidemiology. Her research focused on using mathematical modelling to examine how conflict scenarios impact the risk of measles transmission in Gaza, Palestine. She is looking forward to beginning her PhD, which will examine the feasibility of control mechanisms to detect zoonotic leaps of H5N1 into high-risk agricultural populations and halt eventual transmission chains to densely populated areas. 2025 Khardjatou Marianne Djigo Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University Dengue and malaria pose significant public health burdens in regions like Colombia, where they are endemic. To inform the development of more effective, equity grounded disease-control strategies, my M.Sc. thesis aims to assess determinants of co-infection and co-occurrence of these diseases, using integrated clinical, socio-economic, climatic, and entomological data. 2023 Sarah Donald Department of Food Science, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph Sarah is a MSc candidate whose research project focuses on natural products, with an interest in antimicrobials that are encoded by biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Sarah’s project involves BGCs located on large plasmids found in actinomycetes, specifically BGCs on plasmids which contain prophage regions. 2025 Ethan Done Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, College of Arts and Science, University of Saskatchewan Ethan graduated with a BSc in Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Saskatchewan. His research aim is to develop deployable diagnostic technologies that allow anyone to diagnose disease in plants, animals, and humans at the point of sample collection. 2023 Ivan Drahun Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Brock University My doctoral work investigates the vector competence of mosquito species, both native and invasive to Canada; specifically, their capability for infection with arthropod-borne viruses (e.g., West Nile and Zika viruses). I am also exploring the use of insect-specific viruses as a means of vector control and arbovirus transmission reduction. 2023 Rafael Fernandes Ferreira Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal I investigated, in my masters, and I’m currently working on phenotypic differences in Leishmania resistance to drugs. I aspire working as a researcher within institutes, organizations, universities, or the pharmaceutical industry, with the aim of advancing the development of improved strategies for the treatment and control of infections. 2026 Hannah Ferouz Department of Food Science, Ontario Agricultural College I am working on a project focused on reducing enteric pathogens in flour using UV treatment and L-cysteine. This research aims to enhance food safety by optimizing pathogen inactivation strategies while maintaining flour quality and functionality, with potential applications in commercial processing. 2023 Alexandra Foley-Eby Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan I focus on maternally transmitted strain-specific immunity in mice, against the Lyme disease bacterium. Immunology in Lyme has become a passion of mine as it pertains to prevention, diagnostics, treatment, and monitoring. For my future, I want to include more veterinary expertise, experience, and data in discussions, as well as prioritize patient-driven research. 2023 Paul Glenn Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University Paul evaluates the effect of disinfectants on the transfer of antibiotic resistance from bacteria present on food to Salmonella enterica . He aims to test disinfectants and surface sanitizers that are commonly used in the food industry to guide the regulation of these compounds and reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance. 2025 Jessica Hainault Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal Jessica graduated from UQTR with a BSc in biological and ecological sciences. She is currently pursuing a master's degree, with her research focusing on the effect of white-tailed deer abundance on tick-borne diseases and the ecological parameters that modulate this relationship, employing a One Health approach. 2024 Yihan He Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University My research work focuses on developing smart “lab-on-chip” microfluidic platform for rapid and accurate detection of foodborne pathogens, ensuring the production of safe and high-quality food for consumers. 2026 Cole Heasley Epidemiology, Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College I’m an epidemiologist, with interests in creation and evaluation of community-based health programs and climate change adaptation. For my PhD project, I’m working with a community in the Northwest Territories to create tools to address the changing risk of rabies transmission between foxes, dogs, and people. 2025 Leslie Herrera Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University As part of my project with the CFP lab and the Langlais lab team, I am exploring how DR and DS parasites, along with their extracellular vesicles, modulate host immune cells 2025 Alice Hou Department of Human Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University My research focuses on characterizing a severe dengue mouse model for preclinical vaccine testing. I analyze DENV-specific CD8+ T cells and host-pathogen interactions to better understand severe disease mechanisms and contribute to global dengue prevention strategies. 2026 Caitlin Howard Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College I recently graduated with a MSc in Microbiology and Immunology from Western University. My doctoral research will evaluate whether ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli detected in wastewater and livestock manure can serve as a reliable proxy for clinical resistance trends, aiming to uncover a low-cost system that enables population-level AMR surveillance. 2023 Yuxin Hu Department of Food Science, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph After recently graduating from McGill University with BSc in Food Science and BSc in Nutritional Science, I am starting my graduate studies at University of Guelph. My graduate work will be centered on food safety and microbiology, with a focus on bacteriophages. 2023 Fiona Hui Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University My research interest centers around the dynamic interactions among host microbiomes, their metabolomic profiles, and environmental exposures (including food, pathogens, drugs and other chemicals). We focus on utilizing computational approaches to analyze big data and to gain insights into their complex relationships. 2023 Cody Koloski Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan My interests include insect and arthropod vectors (ticks and mosquitoes), and the pathogens they harbor. My prior work characterized the molecular mechanisms of tick repellents. Presently, I devote my research to unraveling the complexities of superinfections of Borrelia burgdorferi in mice and subsequent transmission to feeding ticks. 2024 Marie Zoé Lapierre Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University As an MSc candidate, Marie Zoé studies the phenomenon of loss of resistance in Leishmania infantum by generating revertant strains. Her research will allow us to evaluate the ability of the revertant parasites to survive in different hostile conditions and the presence of medication. 2026 Adison Linder Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan As North American vector-competent tick species increase in range and population size due to anthropogenic climate and ecosystem changes, so does the potential of their bacterial endosymbionts to impact human and animal welfare. My research will characterize previously-identified Ixodes and Dermacentor -associated endosymbionts and analyze geographical patterns in their genomic variation. 2024 Pierre-Luc Longchamps Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University My research interests focus on bacterial dormancy states in the food supply chain, particularly in Campylobacter jejuni . I want to investigate how bacteria enter and exit dormancy states such as the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) and antibiotic persistent state to survive in the agri-food chain and how they contribute to biofilm formation and persistence 2023 Natalia Lorenc Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University Natalia’s project focuses on antimicrobial resistance in Canadian aquaculture. She's working on identifying antibiotic resistant bacteria in aquatic food production and investigating the transfer pathways of antibiotic resistant genes in the food supply chain. Natalia’s research aims to develop intervention strategies to preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials used in Canada. 2023 Yuxiao Lu Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University My research interests center on the development of a microfluidic “lab-on-a-chip” device that couples isothermal amplification method for specific and rapid detection of foodborne pathogens during fresh produce processing. We currently focus on developing a microfluidic device coupled recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) with lateral flow assay (LFA) to screen norovirus in real food samples. 2025 Shamsuddeen Yusuf Ma'aruf School of Public Health, College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of Saskatchewan Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that can affect both animals and humans. My PhD research is aim at addressing antimicrobial resistance in Mycobacteria by developing immunotherapeutic adjuvants in synergy with antibiotics. Personally, I am also involved in teaching, research, and advocacy for one-digital-health framework in various youth-lead organizations. 2023 Cody Malone Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan Cody’s PhD work is on the zoonotic food-borne parasite, Trichinella , in the North American North. Cody aims to characterize the newly discovered species, T. chanchalensis , and to provide meaningful information that those in the North can use to make informed decisions about the infection risk of consuming wild carnivores and omnivores. 2025 Supun Manathunga Division of Clinical and Translational Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University My research is focused on integrated Bayesian probabilistic modeling and risk-based simulation for spatiotemporal prediction of West Nile virus and optimization of public health interventions 2026 Colby Mask Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine I like studying arthropod vectors and the diseases they carry. Previously I worked on characterizing HOX gene expression during tick embryo development. Currently I am trying to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for variation in spirochete load between different strains of Borrelia burgdorferi . 2023 Giuliana Matta Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University Giuliana recently graduated with a Bachelors in Life Sciences. She hopes to expand her knowledge on viruses and learn how they invade host cells. Her graduate studies focus on the Nipah Virus host cell attachment and budding, specifically the actin cytoskeleton's function in the M protein. Ultimately, Giuliana believes there is much more to discover in this complicated field. 2026 Louise McDonald Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences My project investigates the genetic basis of macrocyclic lactone resistance in the zoonotic parasite Dirofilaria immitis by characterizing the genomic region containing two resistance-linked single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), with the goal of identifying structural and regulatory variants to improve diagnostics, resistance surveillance, and One Health strategies across the world. 2024 Kira Mudrey Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan My research interests center around the management of zoonotic infections in wildlife species. My current work focuses on developing rapid and lab-independent molecular diagnostic methods for Brucella abortus (Brucellosis) infection in wild bison, which will support wood bison conservation efforts in Canada. 2024 Salomé Plat Department of Food Science, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph Recently graduated with a MSc in Molecular Microbiology, I am starting a PhD program at the University of Guelph. The aim of my PhD project is to develop a solution to inhibit the survival and propagation of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strains with an approach based on phage- encoded sequences in combination with natural antimicrobial compounds. 2025 Jonathan Rekve College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan I specialize in nanomedicine and synchrotron-based drug system design, focusing on neuronal reprogramming by converting astrocytes into induced neurons to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and epilepsy. This approach also addresses the neurological effects of fever, vector-borne, and zoonotic (FWVZ) pathogens, including Zika virus, offering potential therapeutic strategies for infection-related neurodegeneration. 2025 Lishita Rowjee Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph Having graduated with a BSc in Biomedical Sciences and a microbiology minor from the University of Guelph, I am starting my MSc in Pathobiology. My research will focus on investigating susceptibility profiles of veterinary Microsporum canis isolates across North America to determine whether they are growing resistant to antifungals. 2024 Ben Sakdinan Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University Vibrio cholerae is a waterborne pathogen that causes the severe diarrheal disease, cholera. This project aims to track phage:V. cholerae ratios over time in cholera patients to establish causal relationships, and develop and validate a predictive model of cholera disease severity based on the phage:V. cholerae ratio. 2026 Srivathsa Shankar Kurpad Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine About one in four individuals carries Mycobacterium tuberculosis , the etiological agent of Tuberculosis. Treatment outcomes are hindered by multidimensional challenges to healthcare access and antibiotic persistence, a phenomenon by which a pathogenic subpopulation displays an increased tolerance to antibiotics due to phenotypic heterogeneity. My project aims to identify the determinants of antibiotic persistence in Mtb. 2024 Kyle Story Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University My project is an examination of the pathogenicity of polar microbes collected from Mars and icy moon analogue sites in the high arctic. This research is part of a larger planetary protection study designed to prepare for the Mars Sample Return mission proposed for the early 2030’s. 2024 Parichay Raj Subedi Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan I am a veterinarian and MSc candidate studying antimicrobial resistance in Trueperella pyogenes , a pathogen prevalent in livestock infections. My research focuses on characterizing the antimicrobial susceptibility of T. pyogenes isolates, utilizing genome sequencing to identify genetic determinants of resistance, and enhancing antimicrobial stewardship practices. 2024 Jinha Suh Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University My research focuses on the differences in gut microbiota between Singaporean wild red junglefowl and Canadian domestic chickens. The goal of my project is to establish a culture collection of potential probiotic candidates that could help in treating key pathogenic diseases within the poultry industry. 2025 Irelynd Tackabury Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University My research involves collaboration between OHAP, the CFIA, and the GRDI-AMR-One-Health project. I am investigating the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in bacteria capable of producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, including carbapenemases, found on ready-to-eat food commodities. I focus on ARGs within mobile genetic elements and their transmission to pathogenic strains. 2026 Jill Trann Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine Influenza A virus (IAV) is a zoonotic virus that is capable of infecting a wide variety of animal species. My research focuses on host-pathogen interactions of IAVs with human and non-human animal hosts. My aim is to understand a specific molecular mechanism by which IAVs cross the species barrier and establish infection in a new host. 2026 Diana Jimena Viguerias Jimenez Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences I hold a BSc in Pharmaceutical Chemical Biology from the University of Guanajuato. My MSc research focuses on how Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria, responds to chemical stress, with the goal of better understanding parasite biology. 2023 Taylor Volappi Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan Research involving the unexplored intricate interactions between hosts and parasites has always been my passion. My planned work centers around elucidating the infection ecology of Echinococcus multilocularis within its various hosts in Western Canada, and using laboratory techniques to determine the pathogenicity of the various strains located here. 2025 Suhao Yin Department of Food Science, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph As part of my MSc position in Food Science, I am working on a project focused on developing a novel hydroxyl-radical process for inactivating enteric viruses on fresh and frozen soft fruits. This research aims to enhance food safety by optimizing antimicrobial treatments while maintaining product quality, with potential applications for commercial validation. 2025 Yarina You Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University Yarina’s research focuses on the economic impacts of foodborne antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Canada, examining how agricultural practices and policy interventions affect public health. She aims to use economic modelling to inform evidence-based strategies that mitigate AMR risks and advance sustainable agricultural systems. 2026 Mayaline Youssef Systèmes, organisations et politiques de santé, École de santé publique My research integrates a One Health perspective to health economic modeling to evaluate equitable vaccination strategies and their effects on population health and downstream antimicrobial use. By combining infectious disease transmission dynamics with distributional cost-effectiveness analysis, my work supports evidence-based policy decisions across human, animal, and environmental health sectors in Canada. 2026 Yixin Zheng Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences My PhD research will focus on developing microbiome-directed strategies to reduce Salmonella Dublin colonization in cattle. By developing defined microbial consortia and evaluating their ability to suppress S . Dublin in controlled models and calf studies, my work aims to support sustainable pathogen control and reduced antibiotic reliance in agriculture.

Our Steering Committee is an autonomous group ensuring oversight and accountability. They guide our strategic direction, assessing our training program to identify its strengths and weaknesses, determine if our goals are being met, and provide recommendations to continue improving our offerings year after year. Our Steering Committee The OHAP Steering Committee is an autonomous group ensuring oversight and accountability. The Committee guides our strategic direction, assessing our training program to identify its strengths and weaknesses, determine if our goals are being met, and provide recommendations to continue improving our offerings year after year. The Committee is chaired by a recognized leader with experience in government, industry, policy, and academia. Members are appointed by the Program Director according to approved criteria and serve for the duration of the program. These members include experts in EDI and program evaluation alongside members representing Graduate Studies, research stakeholders, and racialized and Indigenous communities. The appointed members are joined by an elected trainee representative, chosen by their peers to serve two-year terms. The OHAP Program Director and Associate Director serve as additional non-voting advisors to the Committee. Lynda Asiko Bulimo, MA Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Advocate Equity Education Advisor, McGill University Lynda is an Equity Education Advisor (Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Education) in the Equity Team at McGill University. Her work primarily focuses on developing and leading education-based initiatives for staff and faculty towards anti-racism and anti-oppression. Her research interests explore anti-Blackness, racism and mental health in higher education. Josephine Nalbantoglu, PhD Graduate Studies Representative Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, McGill University Dr. Josephine Nalbantoglu is the Associate Provost (Graduate Education) and Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies of McGill University. Her research interests focus on the molecular genetics of Alzheimer's Disease, on the regulation of gene expression in the nervous system and on gene therapy for brain tumours. Ethel LaValley Indigenous Representative Mayor, Township of South Algonquin Ethel LaValley is an Algonquin Elder of the Pikwakanagan First Nation. Ethel was elected to Council, becoming Mayor of the Township of South Algonquin, and serving four terms as Vice President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. She continues to be engaged as an Elder at traditional openings and gatherings and speaks on issues affecting Indigenous people. Sean Quinlan, MSc, MBA Stakeholder Representative Food Safety Science Directorate, Canadian Food Inspection Agency Sean is the National Manager – Food Safety Research at the CFIA. He and his team are responsible for the management, oversight, and delivery of the CFIA’s food safety research program, which is focused on the development of methods for the detection, identification, and characterization of chemical and microbial hazards in food. Shamsuddeen Yusuf Ma'aruf, BMLS, PGDE, MSc Trainee Representative OHAP CREATE Program Shams' research aims to address antimicrobial resistance in Mycobacteria by developing immunotherapeutic adjuvants in synergy with antibiotics. He is personally involved in teaching, research, and advocacy for one-digital-health frameworks in various youth-lead organizations. Genevieve Tanguay, PhD Committee Chair Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada Dr. Tanguay is Vice-Chief Science Advisor of Canada. She was the first woman Vice President Research at the National Research Council of Canada. Previously, she served as Vice-Rector Research at the University of Montreal and Assistant Deputy Minister for Research and Innovation in the Government of Québec. Throughout her career Dr. Tanguay has been recognised as a science policy leader both in Québec and in Canada.

Back Jianguo (Jeff) Xia, PhD Large Data Analysis Assistant Professor, Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University The general research interest of my lab is to understand the impacts of host genetics, gut microbiome, diet and environmental exposures on health and diseases. In addition to developing novel and easy-to-use bioinformatics platforms for omics data analysis, we use cutting-edge, high-resolution LC-MS systems for metabolomics and exposomics studies coupled with a C. elegans model for further validation and mechanistic investigation. Learn More