One Health: Tackling Wicked Problems Together
The following post, by Siddhartha Thakur and Meredith R. Spence Beaulie, was originally shared by Wicked Problems, Wolfpack solutions. View the post here.
One Health is the idea that animals, plants, the environment, and human society are all connected.
ABSTRACT
One Health is the idea that animals, plants, the environment, and human society are all connected. To improve the health of one, we need to improve the health of all. For complex problems like those in global health, we need people from many different backgrounds and disciplines to work together toward solutions. Whether combating infectious diseases, ensuring food and water security, or addressing the impacts of climate change, meeting health needs is a Wicked Problem. NC State’s Global One Health Academy leads these efforts by enabling interdisciplinary opportunities for students and faculty alike.
Siddhartha “Sid” Thakur, Ph.D., is the executive director of Global One Health Academy and professor of molecular epidemiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, NC State. In his current role, Dr. Thakur is responsible for expanding NC State’s One Health research and education efforts and increasing opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, with a focus on interdisciplinary project-based experiences. He is also responsible for the development of evidence-based recommendations for tackling current and future global threats. Dr. Thakur received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and his Master of Veterinary Public Health from India, and received his Ph.D. from NC State. Learn more on Dr. Thakur’s profile page.
Meredith Spence Beaulieu, Ph.D., is the university program manager of the NC State Global One Health Academy. In this role, she helps lead university-wide interdisciplinary initiatives that engage in research, education, and public discourse around three thematic areas: driving food and water solutions, combating infectious diseases, and addressing climate change and health disparities. Dr. Spence Beaulieu completed both her degrees at NC State, including a bachelor’s degree in zoology with a minor in mathematics (2011) and Ph.D. in entomology (2019). Her Ph.D. research centered on how suburban development affects the types and numbers of mosquitoes in an area, and what these changes mean for patterns in mosquito-borne disease transmission. She is a board-certified medical and veterinary entomologist interested broadly in vector-borne diseases, One Health, and science policy.