One-health initiative takes off at Texas A&M

Published on
information-circle This article is more than 3 years old
Dr. H. Michael Chaddock
Dr. Chaddock

Texas A&M University recently identified one health as one of its “prominent grand challenges,” according to an Oct. 13 TAMU press release. The hope is to have every Texas A&M college contribute to one health, be it through public policy initiatives, entrepreneurship, commercialization pathways, climatology, remote medicine, biomedical engineering, or education.

TAMU’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, as part of its commitment to taking a leadership role in advancing this field, launched the One Health Plus initiative and hired its first assistant dean of one health and strategic initiatives.

Starting Nov. 1, Dr. H. Michael Chaddock became the anchor of the initiative within and beyond the college, responsible for designing and implementing education, research, and outreach programs that advance the goals of the initiative, Dean Eleanor M. Green said in the release.

As a part of his new role at the college, Dr. Chaddock will not only be developing programs to heighten awareness of One Health Plus outside the veterinary college but also will be integrating the concept into the classroom.

“Following our land grant foundation and reaching out to all the professions and colleges involved in ecosystem health will allow us to incorporate education, research, and service into our curriculum,” he said in the release.

“The CVM has a responsibility to continue to emphasize the importance of the one-health approach in all aspects of educating veterinary medical students. I also believe the CVMBS can and should reach out to the other ecosystem health colleges on campus and develop relationships to find meaningful education experiences where students ... can study theory and practical cases together where these disciplines intersect ... .”

Dr. Chaddock, who began his career as a mixed animal practitioner, served as director and state veterinarian for the Michigan Department of Agriculture for 15 years. He served as director of the AVMA Governmental Relations Division for three years. Thereafter, he joined the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, where he served as director of communications, associate executive director, and most recently as deputy executive director.

Concurrently, Dr. Chaddock established collaborations and appointments at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine; and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, School of Medicine, and Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies.

Dean Green noted that the One Health Plus initiative not only will impact citizens in Texas but also will represent a global initiative to address ecosystem health worldwide.

“When we created this position within our college, we wanted to find the person who understood the scope and magnitude of the One Health Plus concept, and could develop international relationships and leadership opportunities that will positively impact the health status of our world community both today and tomorrow. We found that leader in Dr. Chaddock, and we are looking forward to seeing his vision of One Health Plus unfold,” she said.