One Health Symposium Fosters Collaborative Research
Chris Brunner – September 25, 2017
Representatives from NAU, UC Davis, and Wageningen University, participate in the NAU-UC Davis One Health for Food Safety Workshop held at Nanjing Agricultural University
Collaborative research projects between UC Davis, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Wageningen University were the focus of the annual Symposium for One Health for Food Safety, held, September 18-20, 2017, at NAU. These projects help foster graduate training experiences and are the building blocks for a One Health Center for Food Safety and Animal Health at NAU.
Faculty from UC Davis and Wageningen University paired with NAU faculty to discuss areas of research focused on epidemiology, toxicology, reproductive biology, antibiotic use and resistance, and soil biology and biomes. Faculty from UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences included Drs. Trish Berger and Jorge Rodrigues, and from the School of Veterinary Medicine were Drs. Beatriz Martínez López, Robert Poppenga, and Richard Pereira. Dr. Bennie Osburn represented the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, and from Wageningen University was Dr. Ed van Klink. Drs. Feng Hu, Jianjun Dai, Jie Chen, Ruibing Cao, Jiarong Xu, Haiyan Ren, and Bo Xiong participated on behalf of NAU.
In addition to discussions on research collaboration, team members reviewed curriculum content and made recommendations for identifying gaps in their respective educational curriculums.
Also attending the symposium from WIFSS were Jenny Chen and Chris Brunner. Ms. Chen held a discussion with 40 NAU students about the newly approved 3+X program for NAU undergraduate students now offered through UC Davis Office of Global Affairs. This program is an opportunity for NAU students to take upper division courses at Davis to complete a non-thesis MS or MPVM degree from UC Davis. NAU wants their students to take advantage of this program as part of their global educational initiative.
Chris Brunner and Bennie Osburn gave One Health presentations to a large audience of undergraduate students. Some of the students who have attended WIFSS-sponsored One Health for Food Safety conferences at UC Davis, gave enthusiastic testimonials on the impact the conferences have made on their career goals. The president and members of NAU One Health Club were among the audience. The club, which was established following the first One Health conference in 2015, is expanding to other campuses throughout China as graduating members spread the initiative. The NAU administration remains highly supportive of the One Health conferences, as well as the One Health Club.
Bennie Osburn and Jenny Chen met with representatives and administrators of the newly formed, and government supported, “Institute for New Rural Development” that NAU has formed for extending research information to rural farmers and communities. The discussions centered on having WIFSS assist with development of educational models for technology transfer and facilitating further workshops for NAU extension personnel.
Jenny Chen, Chris Brunner, and Bennie Osburn pose with students in NAU One Health Club along with NAU Professors, Cindy Wong, Chunhong Cui, Fuqiang Xiong, and Ruibin Cao
Bennie Osburn, Chris Brunner, and Jenny Chen, met with the administrators of Jiangsu Polytechnic College of Agriculture and Forestry for a tour of their teaching and applied research facilities in Jurong City. Administrators from the college expressed an interest in signing a working agreement with UC Davis to participate in future One Health for Food Safety and Animal Health Conferences for faculty and students, and to participate faculty exchanges.