One Health: Connections and Collaborations

President's Dream Colloquium

Spring 2024

Human health isn’t just about humans. Our health is intimately and inextricably interconnected with the health of our local and global ecosystems and our planet. By mapping connections among people, animals, and environments, “One Health” reveals opportunities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to emerging and ongoing health threats. This concept isn’t new. It is rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing, and recognizes that health threats such as infectious diseases, environmental pollution, and climate change are shared across species, geographies, and generations.

The World Health Organization says, “'One Health' is an integrated, unifying approach to balance and optimize the health of people, animals and the environment. It is particularly important to prevent, predict, detect, and respond to global health threats such as the COVID- 19 pandemic.”

At a time of simultaneous crises, “One Health” has been identified as a research priority by Canada’s Chief Medical Officer. Given that urbanization, globalization, deforestation, and agricultural intensification are increasing and exacerbating health harms, now more than ever, we need innovative “One Health” approaches.

The Pacific Institute on Pathogens, Pandemics and Society (PIPPS) is a new SFU research institute, approved by Senate in December 2022. Our mission is to strengthen BC’s capability to prepare for and respond to major infectious disease events. This President’s Dream Colloquium explores interconnected global health through a One Health lens. We have chosen topics that reflect PIPPS’ Vision and Mission to “prevent, prepare for, and respond to major infectious disease events”, and have extended this focus to encompass intersecting and urgent health risks such as pollution and climate change.

Featured topics include:

  • Introduction to One Health
  • Climate change
  • Environmental pollution
  • Disease modelling and prediction
  • Social inequities and health
  • Knowledge mobilization

Seminars for Graduates & Undergraduates

SFU students may gain course credits towards their degree for attending and participating in colloquium seminars and completing supervised research papers relating to the colloquium’s subject or theme.

Applications accepted until November 24, 2023.

Learn More!

One Health: Connections and Collaborations

All President's Dream Colloquiums

Public Lecture Schedule

Public lectures are free and open to everyone including the general public. Please RSVP to the event as space is limited. A recording of each lecture will be made available after the event.

January 25, 2024

One Health and the changing global health landscape – The neglected heartbeat

Speaker: Salome Bukachi

Associate Professor, University of Nairobi’s Institute of Anthropology, Gender, and African Studies

Watch the Video Recording


February 15, 2024

Hands at Work: Indigenous Food Sovereignty in Western Canada

Speaker: Tabitha Robin

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia (Métis and Cree)

 

 


February 29, 2024

What are the benefits of viral prospecting in nonuman animals?

Speaker: Marc Lipsitch

Professor of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health

Watch the Video Recording


April 4, 2024

What Reporting on Long COVID Taught Me

Speaker: Ed Yong

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author

 

Watch the Video Recording


Sponsors

Questions

If you have any questions about the Colloquium administration, please email Graduate Studies.

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