One Health
Faculty in the Virginia Tech Public Health Program advance One Health research by addressing the interconnected health of humans, animals, and the environment through collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches. Their work spans infectious disease epidemiology, environmental health, and population-level analysis to understand how diseases emerge, spread, and can be controlled across species.
Faculty investigate risk factors, transmission patterns, and innovative prevention strategies, including vector control and preparedness for emerging and transboundary diseases. Research also explores how shared environments and social conditions influence health outcomes, often using companion animals, food-producing animals and wildlife as sentinels for human health. Additional areas of focus include antimicrobial resistance, program and policy evaluation, and aquatic health. Together, this work contributes to integrated, data-driven solutions that improve health outcomes and strengthen responses to complex public health challenges locally and globally.
Faculty engaging in One Health Research
Dr. Laura Hungerford’s research and outreach take a collaborative One Health approach to investigating risk factors, spatiotemporal patterns, and new methods for controlling disease and enhancing health in animals and humans. Her studies include humans, wildlife, domestic, and zoo animals. For complete publications, see: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/laura.hungerford.2/bibliography/public
Dr. Rist focuses on infectious disease research at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health, with particular interest in global health and One Health approaches to malaria control, including the use of endectocides in livestock as novel vector control tools. She is also interested in the economic evaluation of One Health programs and policies, antibiotic stewardship initiatives to address antimicrobial resistance, and building strong domestic and international collaborative research programs.
Dr. Ruple’s research advances One Health by leveraging companion dogs as sentinels of shared human, animal, and environmental health. Through large-scale epidemiologic studies, including the Dog Aging Project and the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, she investigates how the shared environment and social context shape health and aging in both dogs and humans. Her work integrates veterinary and human health data to identify modifiable risk factors and inform prevention strategies across species.
Dr. Savage is an aquatic One Health practitioner, Certified Aquatic Veterinarian, Board-certified Fish Health Specialist, with extensive experience in veterinary curriculum and program management and industry stakeholder training. Her areas of focus include supporting veterinary public practice workforce development, conducting research on identification and characterization of aquatic pathogens, particularly piscine mycobacteria, global food security, and exploring the use of extended reality technology in veterinary medical education.
Dr. Thompson has expertise in the foreign animal, transboundary and emerging animal disease preparedness and response. Her current research includes Theileria, an emerging concern for livestock producers as it moves from east to west across the country. She also remains involved in New World Screwworm preparedness.
Dr. Werre is the College’s Biostatistician, providing statistical consultation and analytic support to faculty across the College. He brings a wealth of expertise on frequentist statistical models and machine learning. He often reviews statistical content for Veterinary Medicine journals and contributes expertise as a Co-I on associated grant applications and publications. Dr. Werre also teaches our Veterinary Medicine students statistical methods through “Introduction to Statistics in Biomedical Research.