Building bridges across disciplines: One Health Consortium hosts inaugural network-building event at the Toronto Zoo
On June 3, 2025, the University of Toronto’s One Health Consortium brought together researchers, partners, and trainees for a dynamic day of knowledge-sharing and community building at the Toronto Zoo. The One Health Network Building Event marked a significant step in fostering interdisciplinary connections across human, animal, and environmental health.
The day opened with a warm welcome from Dr. Bebhinn Treanor, Initiative Lead and Professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough, who introduced the mission and goals of the One Health Consortium. The morning featured a series of compelling talks from leading experts across Canada:
- Dr. Arinjay Banerjee (University of Saskatchewan) highlighted how One Health approaches can help prevent viral pandemics, drawing on his research into zoonotic viruses and animal reservoirs.
- Dr. Jolene Giacinti (Environment and Climate Change Canada) emphasized the importance of integrating wildlife health into national surveillance and response systems.
- Dr. Matthew Adams (University of Toronto Mississauga) explored urban air quality through a One Health lens, linking environmental exposures to public health outcomes.
- Dr. Péter Molnár (University of Toronto Scarborough) discussed the thermal dynamics of parasitism and the challenges of predicting disease emergence in a warming climate.
- Dr. Myrna Simpson (University of Toronto Scarborough) introduced environmental metabolomics as a powerful tool for assessing ecosystem health.
- Dr. Ranaivo Rasolofoson (University of Toronto School of the Environment) shared examples of how forest and freshwater systems impact human health in low- and middle-income countries.
In the afternoon, attendees participated in breakout group discussions, where they explored opportunities for collaboration, identified shared research interests, and brainstormed future activities and priorities for the Consortium.
The event concluded with closing remarks that underscored the importance of building a robust, interdisciplinary network to tackle complex global challenges such as biodiversity loss, emerging pathogens, and environmental degradation.
The One Health Consortium is led by Dr. Bebhinn Treanor, Dr. Ranaivo Rasolofoson, and Dr. John Ratcliffe, with guidance from a dedicated Steering Committee that includes Dr. Samira Mubareka (Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre) and Dr. Tom Braukmann (Public Health Ontario). The initiative is seed-funded through the Institutional Strategic Initiatives Stage I program.
The initiative is deeply grateful for the enthusiastic participation of all attendees and looks forward to hosting future events that continue to build and strengthen the One Health community.
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