By Blake Jackson
The University of Kentucky’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment has opened membership to its growing One Health Center Initiative, which aims to promote the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health.
This multidisciplinary effort seeks to tackle today’s most pressing health challenges through collaboration, research, and education.
The One Health Initiative is centered on raising awareness of the ways in which the well-being of people, animals, and the environment are interconnected. The initiative addresses issues such as zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental risks.
“One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems,” said S. Reddy Palli, Department of Entomology chair at Martin-Gatton CAFE, state entomologist and The Bill Gatton Foundation Distinguished Professor. “We want to be a leader in educating people about the significance of One Health and its impact on everyone’s daily life.”
Faculty, staff, and students from across the university, along with state agencies, are encouraged to collaborate through research, extension, and education.
The initiative will offer a graduate course, One Health in Action, in fall 2025, with plans for an undergraduate course and certificate programs in 2026. A new Student One Health Organization is also open to all students.
Current research under the initiative includes vector surveillance of ticks and mosquitoes in Kentucky, novel antibiotic development, and investigations into RNA viruses like influenza and Zika. Other efforts focus on understanding how harmful bacteria like Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease, respond to environmental cues.
The One Health team is also working with the Cooperative Extension Service to provide resources on zoonotic diseases, food safety, farm health, soil and tree health, and more.
Additionally, the initiative collaborates with UK’s Colleges of Public Health, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy, as well as state agencies, to educate farmers, public health workers, and rural communities.
Following its successful first event, the 2025 One Health Symposium will take place on October 20, inviting experts and advocates from various fields to engage in discussion and knowledge sharing.
“We believe our college has one of the strongest extension programs in the nation and that the One Health Initiative at UK is uniquely positioned to grow,” Palli said. “We welcome everyone interested in One Health to join our collaborative effort and take advantage of all that we have to offer.”
Learn more at https://onehealth.ca.uky.edu.
Photo Credit: university-of-kentucky
Categories: Kentucky, Livestock