News

Dean of Major U.S. College of Veterinary Medicine Endorses One Health

 

One Health Initiative – University of Florida (USA)

 

As most of us would agree, the ‘One Health’ concept is a global strategy to enhance human, animal, and environmental health from an interdisciplinary perspective.  It recognizes and seeks to leverage the synergies between veterinary medicine, human medicine, and public health from a solid, common foundation in biomedical and environmental sciences.  Because of its truly singular complement of core scientific strengths and its crucial geographic location, the University of Florida (UF) is uniquely positioned to become a world leader in this exciting arena.

 

Notable existing institutional strengths at UF related to ‘One Health’ can be found across numerous Colleges, Institutes and Centers.  Individual UF units with faculty and core facilities engaged in ‘One Health’ include the Health Science Center (comprised of the Colleges of Dentistry, Nursing, Medicine, Pharmacy, Public Health and Health Professions, and Veterinary Medicine), the Emerging Pathogens Institute, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the Cancer and Genetics Institute, the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the Florida Climate Institute, the Center for African Studies, the Center for Latin American Studies, the College of Engineering, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

 

To build on these noteworthy existing programs, UF is embarking upon an initiative to hire several accomplished senior scientists to further enhance academic and research excellence with a focus on ‘One Health.’  Of note, this growing partnership between the College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Public Health and Health Professions, and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is rooted in Florida lawmakers’ designation of UF as “preeminent” this past spring, which was accompanied by a substantial increase in state support with the goal of UF achieving “Top 10” public university status.  The new hires will be affiliated with the new UF One Health Center of Excellence, with faculty status in the Emerging Pathogens Institute and a tenure home in an appropriate UF department.

 

We are excited about the opportunity to advance ‘One Health’ as a part of UF’s preeminence designation and look forward to sharing more information with you soon about our progress.  In the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

 

James W. Lloyd, DVM, PhD
Dean, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine (USA)
www.vetmed.ufl.edu

 

Note:  Dr. Lloyd’s endorsement comments to the One Health Initiative website on November 14, 2013 accurately reflect the One Health movement’s history of the past few years, i.e. the University of Florida has indeed assumed a significant role among the many national and international One Health silos.  This has been primarily due to the leadership of physician Greg Gray, MD, MPH, FIDSA - Professor and Chair, Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions; Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine; and Director, Global Pathogens Laboratory, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fl (USA).  Among other One Health national and international activity achievements, Dr. Gray has helped establish the first One Health PhD program at a major university [University of Florida] and served with distinction on the OHI Honorary Advisory Board http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/advBoard.php.