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- OHAP CREATE | One Health
The One Health Crisis Food-borne, water-borne, vector-borne, and zoonotic (FWVZ) pathogens have been on the rise in Canada and around the world with the explosion of globalization, antimicrobial resistance, and climate change. All models predict the burden of FWVZ pathogens on human health is unsustainable, and will worsen as the effects of climate change intensify.To control the spread of FWVZ pathogens, we must integrate research, surveillance systems, and public policies in a holistic ‘One Health’ approach. One Health recognizes the profound interconnections between human, animal, and environmental health while providing effective, equitable, and sustainable ways to maximize public good and minimize harmful social, economic, health, and environmental outcomes. The current political and social landscape does not encourage the dissemination of difficult facts or the adoption of sound science-backed public policy. Scientists must learn to effectively and accessibly communicate facts and evidence with politicians and the general public. NSERC CREATE in One Health Against Pathogens (OHAP) was established to train experts in interdisciplinary research, communication, and crafting effective public policy. With these skills and our holistic One Health approach, our graduate students will have what it takes to bring an end to our current global health crises and support the development of preventative technologies and policies to safeguard our shared future. We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.
- Our Program | OHAP CREATE
Seeking One-Health Leaders Our goal is to provide Canada with public health strategists and researchers, leaders, and regulators with a system-level understanding of FWVZ pathogens and honed skills for developing, evaluating, and sustaining contextual and holistic policies to strengthen Canada’s capacity to control FWVZ pathogens and provide global leadership in the fight against One Health crises. 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. Non-academic mentoring by government and industry professionals prepares our trainees for careers outside of academia while training in interdisciplinary management, communication, and political processes equips them to lead the development of scientifically, socially, and environmentally sound public policy. Apply Now Exclusive OHAP Course Trainees guide learning in our flipped classroom, exploring topics like One Health and Systems Thinking, determinants of health, integrated technical case studies, and outbreak investigation and control. Skill Development Studios Facilitated by government, industry, academic, and Indigenous health leaders, our immersive workshops provide technical and professional training critical to core One Health competencies. Virtual Forum Series Invited health leaders discuss pressing and controversial issues and debate solutions in a series of virtual forums moderated by trainees. Pioneering research conducted by our members is also showcased. Annual Policy Challenge Our PhD trainees pitch policy solutions to real-world health challenges in case studies judged by leading stakeholders, working with MSc. trainees trasked with crafting public outreach strategies to promote their proposals. Sample Timetables See our Schedule MSc Program: OHAP Course 3hrs/week Studios ~ 3-6hrs each Complete 10 total Forums 2hrs each Policy Challenge 5-day retreat, late July Year 1 Fall Winter Summer Year 2 Fall Winter Summer 3 1 1 2 2 1 PhD Program: OHAP Course 3hrs/week Studios ~ 3-6hrs each Complete 17 total Forums 2hrs each Policy Challenge 5-day retreat, late July Year 1 Fall Winter Summer Year 2 Fall Winter Summer Year 3 Fall Winter Summer 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 2 1 C I Learning Objectives Explain OH principles and concepts; apply systems thinking for holistic understanding of FWVZ pathogens; identify social and biophysical determinants that underlie FWVZ transmission and control; investigate FWVZ outbreaks; pinpoint entry points and indirect positive and negative effects of control measures Describe how to detect pathogens in water, food and tissue samples; interpret integrative analysis of diverse biological, geographical and social datasets, including big “omics” data; devise creative solutions Conduct situational and SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) analyses Participate in, build, and manage transdisciplinary teams; network with colleagues across disciplines Facilitate debates and discussions; provide constructive criticism; communicate risk to the public, media, and policy makers Examine and reflect on personal biases; demonstrate cultural and situational sensitivity with local communities and stakeholders Write crisp, compelling proposals, reports, policy briefs, and op-eds Identify policy gaps; weigh evidence from diverse stakeholders; align policy implementation with desired outcomes; recommend, iteratively monitor, assess, and modify policies C-Course; S-Studios; P-Policy Challenge; F-Forums; I-Trainee Initiatives S P F I S I P S I P S I F P S I P S I P I
- Our People | OHAP CREATE
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'
- Christopher Fernandez Prada, PhD | OHAP CREATE
Back Christopher Fernandez Prada, PhD Molecular Parasitology Professeur agrégé, Département de pathologie et microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal Christopher Fernandez-Prada (CFP) is an Associate Professor at Université de Montréal and Director of their Animal Parasitology Diagnostic Laboratory of UdeM. CFP’s research is focused on the study of drug resistant parasites and the biological roles of their extracellular vesicles in genetic exchange and host-parasite interactions. Moreover, CFP lab is interested in the mode of action of novel antiparasitic agents, the discovery of novel biomarkers (with a focus on drug resistance and asymptomatic carrier state) and the development of alternative tools to control and manage protozoan parasites in a One Health approach. His lab is currently supported by the CIHR, NSERC, CFI, FRQNT and the J.-Louis Lévesque Foundation. Learn More
- Sebastien Faucher, PhD | OHAP CREATE
Back Sebastien Faucher, PhD Water-borne Pathogens Associate Professor, Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University Prof. Sebastien Faucher’s research program aims to understand the genetic factors and environmental factors that influence the survival and growth of water-borne pathogens in the non-clinical environment and their transmission to humans. The emergent pathogen Legionella pneumophila is the prime focus of this research program. This pathogen grows in engineered water systems. Metagenomic tools are used to understand the role of the resident microbiota and the genomic diversity of L. pneumophila . The effect of climate change and water system operation and disinfection strategies on the evolution of L. pneumophila is also studied through experimental evolution in model water systems. Learn More
- Lawrence Goodridge, PhD | OHAP CREATE
Back Lawrence Goodridge, PhD Food-borne Pathogen Dynamics Professor, Department of Food Science, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph Dr. Lawrence Goodridge, is a Full Professor and Canada Research Chair in Foodborne Pathogen Dynamics in the Department of Food Science at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. He is also the Director of Guelph’s Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety. Dr. Goodridge applies genomics to study foodborne bacterial pathogens and antibiotic resistance within a One Health context. This objective is being achieved by combining phenotypic and genotypic (phenogenomics) methods to develop predictive models of virulence in foodborne pathogens. Specific research studies in support of the main objective include identifying mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, including the role that mobile genetic elements play in the spread of genetic determinants of antibiotic resistance and virulence amongst bacteria. Other research interests include identifying new antimicrobial compounds to control the growth of pathogenic bacteria, and the development genomic approaches for rapid detection of foodborne and waterborne bacterial and viral pathogens. Learn More
- Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, Dipl ACVIM | OHAP CREATE
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
- Maarten Voordouw, PhD | OHAP CREATE
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
- Emily Jenkins, DVM, PhD | OHAP CREATE
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
- Qian (Vivian) Liu, PhD | OHAP CREATE
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