COHR's Working Groups
Following UAF's One Health Alaska meeting, held in March 2019,
the Center for One Health Research engaged the participants into creating 13 working groups with a goal of identifying and addressing various One Health issues observed throughout the state of Alaska and based on interest an additional working group was created for antibiotic resistance.
These groups are now conducting ongoing research with a goal of presenting their results and findings at the upcoming One Health, One Future 2020 international conference, which will be held from March 11-14, 2020 on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.
Please see below each working group, their goals, timelines, and key members.
Air Quality
Description:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that air pollution is the largest environmental
health risk in the world today. This group seeks to understand underlying issues
contributing to air pollution in Circumpolar communities, how air pollution health
risks may be assessed, and what can be done to reduce particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5)
an air pollutant that can severely affect lung function. Their goal is to make people
and animals more resilient to air pollution exposure.
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless
team members want to meet prior to that time frame.
Team leaders:
- Srijan Aggarwal
Questions Contact:
- Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
- Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu
Antimicrobial Resistance
Description:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), antimicrobial resistance is a critical One Health issue as it
affects human, animal, and agricultural industries. This group is being assembled
to identify and address the areas in which the Circumpolar North are affected through
collaboration of wildlife, agricultural, and animal and human health professionals.
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.
Team leaders:
- Devin Drown
Questions Contact:
- Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
- Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu
Chronic Disease and Cancer
Description:
Cancer and some chronic diseases are more common in Alaska Native populations than
the US population in general. This group seeks to define the incidence of these diseases
in Alaska and across the Circumpolar North and develop research projects that will
help understand potential contributing factors. We will also seek to support health
professionals in the early detection and preventive strategies that will help decrease
morbidity and mortality from these diseases.
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless
team members want to meet prior to that time frame.
Team Leaders:
- Andrej Potlusky
- Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
- Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu
Join our working group!
Contaminant Surveillance and Bio-Monitoring
Description:
For Decades groups like the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) and the
Arctic Contaminant Action Program (ACAP) have been monitoring environmental contaminants
in the Arctic. This group will continue this work in synergy with established groups
and public health professionals across the Arctic to monitor heavy metals and POPs,
PSP and PAP to provide information that will help communities make decisions on how
they process and consume their subsistence food resources.
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless
team members want to meet prior to that time frame.
Team leaders:
- Jim Berner
Questions Contact:
- Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
- Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu
Data Management and Sharing/Dissemination
Description:
Data management and sharing is required by several of the government funding and research
agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Health
(NIH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Requiring and providing
transparency among researchers helps promote collaboration and use of data. This group
views data as a valuable resource and aims to be the point of communication among
the other working groups, as well as designing and presenting a concept behind a quantitative
database of all the information obtained by the working groups.
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless
team members want to meet prior to that time frame.
Team leaders:
- Pips Veazey
- Julie Benson
Questions Contact:
- Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
- Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu
Food Safety and Security
Description:
In Alaska and across the Arctic, many communities do not have access to commercially
produced food items and therefore rely on subsistence activities such as hunting,
fishing, gardening, and gathering. These activities are not regulated or supported
by government agencies that are associated with food safety and security, such as
the United States Department of Agriculture, (USDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service
(FSIS), and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This group aims to
identify and address some of the social/cultural issues surrounding subsistence living
and identify ways that food safety and security are affected by these issues.
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless
team members want to meet prior to that time frame.
Team leaders:
- David Payer
Questions Contact:
- Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
- Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu
Mental Health and Well-being
Description:
The well-being of Alaskans is at high risk due to historical and current social, environmental,
and cultural changes. Through a collaborative multidisciplinary, One Health approach,
this group aims to address the resulting increasing negative impacts on mental health
by identifying the different factors to both risk for and resilience to mental health
issues and build solutions through a holistic approach.
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless
team members want to meet prior to that time frame.
Team leaders:
- Siri Tuttle
- Kristen Ogilvie
Questions Contact:
- Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
- Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu
One Health and Built Infrastructure
Description:
Land in the Arctic region is impacted by various environmental factors (such as temperature extremes, permafrost, thawing grounds, and erosion) requiring multiple different infrastructural design and construction strategies. This group aims to identify challenges and integrate practical, economical, and culturally appropriate design platforms and construction materials and methods to promote individual and community well-being and viability for climate appropriate infrastructure in circumpolar communities.
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless
team members want to meet prior to that time frame.
Team leaders:
- Erin Whitney
Questions Contact:
- Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
- Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu
One Health in Education
Description:
Education is the foundation for development and success. More organizations are continuing
to recognize that a One Health approach supports engagement of rural and Indigenous
students and provides a sustainable approach to well-being and resource management.
To achieve these aims, One Health should be integrated into curriculum from K-12 through
post-secondary education. This group seeks to establish and support educational programs
in school systems (K-12) and universities for communities throughout the Circumpolar
North.
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless
team members want to meet prior to that time frame.
Team leaders:
- Lisa Busch
Questions Contact:
- Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
- Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu
One Health and Policy
Description:
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that knowledge integration at every stage of policy development, and in every policy cycle could strengthen the coordination and governance of One Health implementation. The focus of this working group is to ensure that One Health knowledge is available to policy makers, stakeholders, and interest groups at every level of policy making, and to support ways the integration of this multidisciplinary knowledge into the policies that are implemented.
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless
team members want to meet prior to that time frame.
Team leaders:
- Lisa Schwarzburg
- Carrie Stevens
Questions Contact:
- Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
- Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu
One Health Science Communication
Description:
Science communication is the public communication of science-related topics to non-experts.
This group seeks to ensure that all populations of people, no matter their education
level, can understand the One Health issues that are taking place around them.
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.
Team leaders:
- Lisa Busch
Questions Contact:
- Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
- Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu
Water Safety and Security
Description:
According to a survey conducted by the Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development Working
Group (SDWG), there is a significantly higher prevalence of inadequate water and sanitation
services in the Arctic region compared to the communities located in lower latitudes.
In the Arctic, providing adequate water and sanitation services can be an issue due
to infrastructure costs and threats related to climate change. This group will collaborate
to provide tools to improve fresh safe, secure water access and sanitation systems
in the Circumpolar North.
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless
team members want to meet prior to that time frame.
Team leaders:
- Srijan Aggarwal
Questions Contact:
- Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
- Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu
Zoonotic Diseases
Description:
This group seeks to use a multisectoral, One Health approach to identify, prioritize,
and address the endemic and emerging zoonotic diseases of greatest concern for the
Arctic and Circumpolar North. This will be done through collaboration and implementation
of surveillance and focused studies to help protect people and animals threatened
by these diseases.
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.
Team leaders:
- Angie Fitch
- Amy Klink
Questions Contact:
- Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
- Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu