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Spring 2023 One Health Symposium Highlights Research and Insights on Water

Opening speaker at 2023 Spring One Health Symposium

The emerging field of One Health builds from the knowledge that human health is deeply interconnected with environmental health and animal health. The Spring 2023 One Health Symposium featured Dr. John H. Postlethwait, a Professor of Biology at the Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, as the keynote speaker.


The University of Arizona Health Sciences One Health Initiative and the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center, in close collaboration with the Zuckerman College of Public Health, co-hosted the spring One Health Symposium on May 5, 2023, to bring together researchers from across the University of Arizona who work on One Health research and raise awareness about opportunities for collaboration.

Sharon B. Megdal, PhD, Director of UArizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC), was featured as the opening speaker for the symposium. John H. Postlethwait, PhD, a Professor of Biology at the Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, gave the keynote address and shared his perspective on the One Health approach involving water.

The One Health approach understands that human health is deeply interconnected with environmental health and animal health. One Health research uses an interdisciplinary and often community-based approach to solve complex health problems that emerge from environmental contamination, animal-to-human disease transmission, the impacts of climate change, and many other pressing issues.

This recent One Health Symposium featured over a dozen UArizona researchers who presented on their projects that use a One Health approach to analyze complex health problems and assure safe and healthy water for all. Frank von Hippel, PhD, director of the One Health Initiative and professor in the Zuckerman College of Public Health, and Griselda Ruiz-Braun organized the event. Dr. Michael Dake, MD, senior vice president for University of Arizona Health Sciences, gave the opening remarks. Dr. Iman Hakim, dean of the Zuckerman College of Public Health, gave the closing remarks.

The Symposium brought together researchers from across the university and beyond, including the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the College of Medicine - Tucson and Phoenix, the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, the College of Science, the College of Engineering, the UArizona Libraries, University Animal Care,  the Southwest Environmental Health Science Center (SWEHSC), the Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, the Water Resources Research Center (WRRC), the Zuckerman College of Public Health (COPH), and Maricopa Cooperative Extension. Thanks to all the researchers who gave presentations and made connections for future One Health research.

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Dr. Michael Dake, SVP for Health Sciences, delivering the opening remarks.

Dr. Sharon Megdal, Director for WRRC, was the opening speaker for the symposium.

Keynote speaker, Dr. John Postlethwait (right), was also part of a panel discussion with Dr. Tara Carr (left) and Dr. Charles Gerba (center).

Dr. Charles Gerba spoke with participants at symposium reception.


Spring 2023 One Health Symposium Program

Opening Remarks

Michael Dake, MD,
Senior Vice President, University of Arizona Health Sciences

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Frank von Hippel, PhD,
Professor, Environmental Health Sciences
Department of Community, Environment and Policy
Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

Opening Presentation

One Water, One Health, One Earth

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Sharon B. Megdal, PhD,
Director, Water Resources Research Center (WRRC)
CALS Professor and Specialist, Department of Environmental Science C.W.
Modene Neely Endowed Professor
Distinguished Outreach Professor

Research Presentations

At the Symposium several researchers, many of them from the College of Public Health, gave presentations on their One Health research projects.

Session 1  Tools & Resources

Spreading Awareness: Arizona’s Water

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Deb Hughes Hallett, PhD
Professor, Mathematics

One Health Internal Advisory Board Members

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Nathan J. Cherrington, PhD
Professor, Pharmacology and Toxicology
Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies - College of Pharmacy
Director, Southwest Environmental Health Science Center 

Kacey C Ernst, PhD
Professor & Program Director of Epidemiology
Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health 

Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, PhD
Associate Professor Basic Medical Sciences
College of Medicine - Phoenix 

Fiona M. McCarthy, PhD
Professor, Animal & Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Clinical Instructor, Pharmacy Practice-Science
Professor, Genetics – GIDP 

Kristen M. Pogreba Brown, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health 

Julienne N. Rutherford, PhD
Professor, College of Nursing 

Noel Andrew Warfel, PhD
Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
College of Medicine - Tucson

Library Resources for One Health Research

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Jean McClelland
Assistant Librarian
Liaison to the College of Public Health
Arizona Health Sciences Library 

Jeanne L. Pfander
Associate Librarian
Liaison to the College of Veterinary Medicine
Arizona Health Sciences Library

More Research, Less Pain: A Lighting Tour of UA Data Resources

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Jeffrey C. Oliver, PhD
Data Science Specialist
Research Engagement, University Libraries

Zebrafish: Models for Human Disease and Precision Medicine

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Katy O’Connell DVM, DACLAM
Assistant Veterinary Specialist University Animal Care

Session 2  Water & Exposure Science

Effect of Prenatal Dibutyl Phthalate Exposure on Fetal-placental Vascular Function

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Chi Zhou, PhD
Assistant Professor
Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences

Environmental Chlorination Stress and Skin Health: The Chlorination Agents HOCl (Hypochlorous Acid) and TCIC (Trichloroisocyanuric Acid) Display Opposing Effects on Solar UV-driven Inflammatory Dysregulation and Skin Carcinogenesis

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Jeremy Snell, PhD
Candidate, Wondrak Laboratory

Combined Methods for Relating Human Health with Contaminant Mixtures in Water

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Marc C. Verhougstraete, PhD
Assistant Professor, Environmental Health Sciences
Department of Community, Environment & Policy
Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

Rapid, Sensitive Detection of PFOA with Smartphone-based Flow Rate Analysis Utilizing Competitive Molecular Interactions During Capillary Action

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Jeong-Yeol Yoon, PhD
Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Binational Early Asthma and Microbiome Study (BEAMS)

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Tara F. Carr, MD FAAAAI
Associate Professor, Medicine and Otolaryngology, Allergy and Immunology
Fellowship Training Program Director, Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center

Session 3  Water Management

Zombie Viruses and Potential for Waterborne Disease Transmission

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Charles P. Gerba, PhD
Professor, Environmental Science 

Walter Betancourt, PhD
Associate Research Professor, Environmental Science

Water Management and Pest Management – What’s the Connection?

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Shaku Nair, PhD
Entomologist & Associate in Extension, Community IPM/Turfgrass and Horticultural Entomology
Arizona Pest Management Center, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension

Keynote Address

Integrating Human, Animal, and Environmental Health in the Water: Fish as Models

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John H Postlethwait, PhD
Professor of Biology, Institute of Neuroscience University of Oregon

Panel Discussion

Water & One Health

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Tara F. Carr, MD FAAAAI
Associate Professor, Medicine and Otolaryngology, Allergy and Immunology
Fellowship Training Program Director, Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center 

Charles P. Gerba, PhD
Professor, Environmental Science 

Sharon B. Megdal, PhD
Director, Water Resources Research Center 

John H. Postlethwait, PhD
Professor of Biology, Institute of Neuroscience University of Oregon

Closing Remarks

Iman Hakim, MD, PhD, MPH
Dean, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

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