What is One Health?
The growing recognition that human, animal, and environmental health are intimately connected, as defined by the World Health Organization, is known as One Health. This has led to an understanding that interdisciplinary educational and research approaches are critical to address the complex health challenges presented by this intersecting paradigm. A global leader in veterinary education and One Health initiatives, Penn Vet and its University partner schools are developing opportunities for faculty and students to engage in interdisciplinary problem solving to address human, animal and environmental health and welfare.
Stephen Cole, MS, VMD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Microbiology
School of Veterinary Medicine
Julie Ellis, MS, PhD
Co-Director, Wildlife Futures and One Health in Action
School of Veterinary Medicine
Erick Gagne, MSc, PhD
Assistant Professor of Wildlife Disease Ecology
School of Veterinary Medicine
Lisa Murphy, VMD
Professor of Toxicology, Co-Director, Wildlife Futures Program
School of Veterinary Medicine
Hillary Nelson, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Director, MPH Program
Perelman School of Medicine
Brianna Parsons, VMD, MsEd
Lecturer in Sustainable Agriculture
School of Veterinary Medicine
Jenni Punt, VMD, PhD
Associate Dean of One Health, Professor of Immunology
School of Veterinary Medicine
Laurel Redding, VMD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
School of Veterinary Medicine
Caroline Sobotyk, DVM, MSc, PhD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Parasitology
School of Veterinary Medicine
Brittany Watson, MS, VMD, PhD
Associate Professor of Shelter Medicine and Community Engagement
School of Veterinary Medicine
Elizabeth Woodward, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor
School of Veterinary Medicine
More than three-quarters of emerging infectious diseases that affect humans are zoonotic. In the past two decades, outbreaks of Ebola, Zika, swine influenza, avian influenza, West Nile virus, SARS CoV-2 — and others — have occurred around the world. Other established infections, such as malaria and dengue, continue to be a global concern.
The emergence of antibiotic resistance to infections – particularly in hospital settings – creates a public health blind spot, while emerging and re-emerging infectious zoonotic agents continue to grow at alarming speed.
OUR MISSION
Integrating the core values of One Health, expand research of infectious agents and advance our ability to react to new diseases – both locally and globally – for the benefit of populations and communities. Align our educational initiatives to support and develop the infectious disease workforce of tomorrow.
WHY PENN VET?
We have one of the largest zoonotic disease programs in the nation, rooted in our extensive faculty network and distinctive geography. Penn Vet’s campus in Philadelphia neighbors the University of Pennsylvania’s twelve schools, including the medical and nursing schools, and the School of Arts and Sciences. Our New Bolton Center campus is surrounded by a region densely populated with dairy farms and agriculture. This topography brings Penn’s scientists together with incredible resources spurring cross-disciplinary collaboration to tackle monumental challenges, from chronic and fatal disease to biosecurity and antimicrobial stewardship, to climate change.
Penn Vet is a valuable partner to industry, specifically to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System, as well as to several leading regional and national laboratory networks and health commissions.