The One Health PhD course was highly appreciated

The SLU Future One Health platform, in collaboration with the Graduate School for Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, is excited to announce the successful conclusion of the PhD course titled "One Health - Concept, Cases, and Methodology". The course, aimed at PhD students admitted to postgraduate programs in various disciplines connected to One Health, witnessed enthusiastic participation from students eager to immerse themselves into the interdisciplinary realm of One Health.

Throughout the course, participants were provided with a comprehensive theoretical overview of the One Health approach, emphasising its necessity in addressing global health challenges. The benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary research were explored alongside presentations showcasing successful One Health research. Additionally, participants gained insights into the methodologies commonly employed within the One Health framework, including epidemiology, bioinformatics, and qualitative research methods.

A highlight of the course was the opportunity for the students to develop interdisciplinary One Health research projects collaboratively and to explore how the One Health concept and methodology could be integrated to enhance their PhD projects.

We asked Mikaela Sauvala, one of the participants, to share her thoughts on the course.

What did you gain from the course?

"This two-week One Health course was intensive, with good lectures and a clear focus on One Health. We had participants from different backgrounds and different parts of the world, with whom it was interesting to share thoughts and opinions and who added value to the course," says Mikaela.  

Mikaela is a reindeer herder from Finland. Here she has taken a selfie of herself and some of her reindeers. 

"The course supported my PhD project because I got a broader view of my subject. I'm doing my PhD on game meat hygiene, so wild moose, white-tailed deer, and game birds hunted and consumed already had a strong One Health aspect in animal and human health. During the course, I also started thinking about my study in an environmental health aspect."

"After my PhD, I am hoping to get new research done on reindeer and wildlife in animal welfare and One Health aspects", says Mikaela.

Will the course be provided again?

"Given the highly positive feedback from participants in its second run, we hope we will be able to offer the course again," says Elisabeth Rajala.