One Health research at SLU

SLU conducts interdisciplinary research on how the health of humans, animals, plants and ecosystems is connected. Here we present a selection of SLU’s broad expertise and research within the One Health field. You’ll find ongoing projects, research results, and theme pages that highlight different research areas linked to One Health.

THEME PAGES
Laboratory. Photo.

Infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance

Infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including antibiotic resistance, is a major challenge for animal husbandry and food security worldwide. Combating infectious diseases and AMR requires multidisciplinary global research.

Red deer. Photo.

Animals and nature for human health

Research investigating how animals and nature affect human health is performed at several SLU departments, and spans different research areas. Here we present a selection of current projects and publications in the field.

The eye of a horse

Translational and comparative medicine

Translational and comparative medicine bridges lab research and clinical practice, using animal models to find shared ways to improve both human and animal health.

Interviews and researcher portraits
Human and dogs walking at sunset
MORE INTERVIEWS

Hi! What is your research about?

Meet some of our researchers and PhD students as they talk about their research within One Health. Together, they present the breadth of research taking place at SLU.

Headshot of a young woman with dark hair, bangs, and her hair tied up in a ponytail. She is standing outdoors in front of a red-brick building. Photo.
INTERVJU

What can bats tell us about pollution, ecosystems and health?

How do pharmaceutical pollutants move between ecosystems, wildlife and people? In this interview, Natalia Sandoval Herrera shares insights from a project exploring how bats can help us understand how contaminants move through food webs – and what this may mean for environmental, animal and human health.

Headshot of a man wearing a plaid shirt in an outdoor setting with water in the background. Photo.
INTERVIEW

Restoring landscapes for healthier people, animals and ecosystems

Can restoring forests and grasslands benefit people, livestock and nature? In this interview, Harry Fischer shares insights from a project in India exploring how ecosystem restoration may support biodiversity, food security, livestock health and human well-being.

Close-up of a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair. Photo.
INTERVIEW

Under the same roof: what can our pets tell us about the environment we share?

Humans and companion animals often share the same environment – but do we also share the same exposure to chemicals? In this interview, Ida Hallberg explains how studying our pets may help us better understand environmental health risks affecting both animals and people.

A close-up of a woman with long brown hair, wearing glasses, standing in a tree-lined avenue surrounded by greenery. Photo.
INTERVIEW

From health psychology to One Health – meet Nina Lind Ranneberg

Nina Lind Ranneberg has taken on the role of Programme Director for SLU Future One Health. With a background in health psychology and interdisciplinary research, she is keen to further strengthen collaboration across disciplines and highlight the breadth of One Health research at SLU.

A smiling woman lies in front of a cow in a barn setting. Photo: Jenny Svennås-Gillner, SLU
INTERVIEW

When farmer well-being meets animal welfare

Improving calf welfare is not only about management and housing practices (e.g. feeding) – it is also about the people behind them. This interdisciplinary project explores how technology, working conditions and social sustainability are interconnected within a One Health perspective.

A woman in a schoolyard
INTERVIEW

Reconnecting children with nature – a One Health perspective

Nature-rich environments play a key role in children’s health, development and social interaction. In this interview, Fredrika Mårtensson shares how access to biodiverse outdoor environments supports well-being – and why this matters from a One Health perspective.

A woman with glasses, earrings and a spotted blouse. Photo.
INTERVIEW

Making valuable products from cassava residues

”By integrating food safety, environmental protection, and human well-being, my work reflects the core principles of the One Health approach”, says Andreia Massamby, new PhD at the Department of Molecular Sciences.

Two young women are sitting in a studio, each in their own armchair, chatting and drinking coffee.
INTERVIEW

Coffee Chats: Making environmental research accessible

At the Department of Environmental Communication at SLU, new ways of communicating research are being explored. Through informal conversations over coffee, complex societal and environmental issues are made more accessible – closely linked to the One Health perspective.

ONE HEALTH – ONE WORLD, ONE PLANET

Definition of One Health

One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognizes that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and inter-dependent. The approach mobilizes multiple sectors, disciplines and communities at varying levels of society to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems, while addressing the collective need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, taking action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development. Reference: The quadripartite (WHO, FAO, WOAH, UNEP).

What does the concept of One Health mean?

We share our lives with animals and are affected by each other's health, as well as the environment we live in. In this short film, we explain how everything is interconnected, following the One Health approach.

Why focus on One Health?

The One Health approach focuses on the interface between animal-, human-, plant- and ecosystem health. A collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach, cutting across these boundaries, is needed to understand complex health challenges.
Read the definition and more about the One Health approach
SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH GROUPS

Complex challenges requires a One Health approach

The One Health approach aims to enhance understanding of the interactions and connections between animal, human, plant, and environmental health. This complex relationship requires an interdisciplinary approach, integrating veterinary medicine, epidemiology, ecology, animal husbandry, human medicine, behavioural science, economics, and other scientific disciplines. SLU boasts extensive expertise in the One Health field.

Research groups linked to One Health

Researchers at SLU study the interactions between plants, humans, animals and the ecosystem. Here you can find opportunities for collaboration or details for contact.
Find researchers/research groups

Scientific SLU publications linked to One Health

A selection of scientific publications by SLU researchers from the SLU publication database (SLUpub) organised within this field.
Visit SLUpub to explore more scientific publications