SAVMA
One Health Symposium

2025

About the OHS...

Every year, the SAVMA Public Health and DART Committees host a Student-led One Health Symposium. This year, we're teaming up with WesternU faculty and research department to collaborate in a way that showcases, not just local perspectives on One Health, but also student research presentations to celebrate a culture of sustainability, compassion, and teamwork. Hope to see you there!

What is One Health?

One Health is a collaborative approach that aims to improve the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment through a multisectoral and transdisciplinary effort. It recognizes that the health of these entities are interconnected and that working together is essential to achieve optimal health outcomes. It addresses issues such as antimicrobial resistance, food safety, infectious diseases, pollution management, nutrition, and so much more!

Student Involvement

We're always looking for students to show case their work regarding One Health. If you're interested in presenting a poster during your reception (and a possible resume booster), please sign up here: https://forms.gle/Cd7H93uDTpKJJsWn9

Additionally, we are looking for students to fill slots in our panel! We know you all have valuable insights and want you to have a hand in the discussion. Please sign up by emailing gabriela.gonzalez@westernu.edu

RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/U7Dfsn7Z9WCmBcu1A

Meeting link here:

https://westernu.zoom.us/j/96532090748?pwd=K4Rai5hhkohdYLNEfYGUHI1Ld9faWj.1

Meeting ID: 965 3209 0748

Passcode: 518993

Dr. Helen Engelke, BVSc, MPVM, MRCVS

She graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 1990 from the University of Liverpool and began her professional career as a State Veterinary Officer in Trinidad & Tobago whilst also working part time in a private small animal clinic. During this time Dr. Engelke developed a true passion for public health and epidemiology. With the aid of a Pan American Health Organization Fellowship she graduated with a Masters in Preventive Veterinary Medicine (MPVM) from UC Davis (CA, USA) in 1994 where her emphasis was Public Health. She subsequently returned to Trinidad and Tobago and worked as Deputy Director and then acting Director of the Veterinary Public Health Unit of the Ministry of Health. She balanced these governmental responsibilities with a part time lectureship at the College of Health Sciences, in the National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, concentrating on educating future public health inspectors in Food Safety issues related to foods of animal origin.

Dr. Miguel Saggese, DVM, MSc, PhD

A native of Argentina, Dr. Miguel Saggese joined Western University of Health Sciences in 2007 as an assistant professor in microbiology and avian diseases. He obtained his veterinary degree in 1995 at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2004, Dr. Saggese completed a 3-year residency and a masters program at The Raptor Center, University of Minnesota. During these years, he studied the effect of West Nile virus (WNV) on birds of prey and the efficacy of WNV vaccines. Between 2004 and 2007, his research focused on avian tuberculosis while completing his Ph.D. in microbiology at The Schubot Center, Texas A&M University. Dr. Saggese defines himself as an ornithologist as well as veterinarian and he combines both disciplines to better understand the effect of diseases in avian populations. He is an associate editor of the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine and is actively involved in several organizations, including the Raptor Research Foundation, the Association of Avian Veterinarians, and the Eagle Conservation Alliance.

Dr. Boris Baer, PhD

Dr. Boris Baer is a distinguished researcher at the Center for Integrative Bee Research (CIBER), specializing in social insect reproduction and immunity, with a focus on honeybees, leaf-cutting ants, and bumblebees. Through an integrative approach that combines biochemical techniques like proteomics and evolutionary biology, he has pioneered a new field he calls evolutionary proteomics. His research delves into the proteomic mechanisms of self-non-self recognition systems in insects, aiming to understand how these processes influence natural and sexual selection. Dr. Baer is also dedicated to applying his findings to practical breeding programs, working with beekeepers to develop honeybee lineages that are more disease-tolerant and resilient to environmental stressors.

Dr. Emily Beeler, DVM, MPH

Dr. Emily Beeler works primarily on animal disease surveillance at the Veterinary Public Health Program of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA. She worked for 9 years as a small animal practitioner in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County before joining Public Health in 2005. She grew up in New Hampshire and actually misses the snow. Her favorite diseases and vectors are rabies, heartworm, invasive Aedes mosquitoes, Onchocerca lupi, coccidioidomycosis, leptospirosis, and canine influenza H3N2.

Ruth Trudgeon, DNP, RN

Dr. Trudgeon has been a nurse educator for nineteen years and is passionate about training the nurses and other health professionals of the future. She started as an adjunct clinical professor in 2005 at Azusa Pacific University and moved to a position as full-time Assistant Professor at Western University of Health Sciences in 2010. In 2022, she received promotion to the role of Associate Professor. Her nursing journey began in the UK, where she completed Bachelor of Nursing at Manchester University in 1985. She worked as an RN in several different settings, including community and public health, until 1998 when she relocated to California for her husband’s job. She went on to complete her MSN at Cal State San Bernardino in 2003, and her DNP at Western University of Health Sciences in 2017. Her clinical areas of interest have always been pediatrics and public health, and she continues to act as a clinical instructor for the public health nursing course and lead many community and global health outreach projects.

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