Five years of interdisciplinarity and collaboration within One Health

During her years as programme director, the platform has strengthened interdisciplinary work at SLU and highlighted the importance of the One Health perspective in addressing complex societal challenges. We asked her to reflect on her time in the role.

Looking back, what are you most proud of? 

“I’m very proud of the entire platform team, and the fact that many people in SLU and outside now seem to recognize our university as an important actor in One Health research. I’m also very happy that our seed money has resulted in several large One Health project proposals being funded. That was one of our key ambitions – to stimulate new collaborations that could grow into something bigger.”

What has been the most challenging aspect of leading an interdisciplinary platform?

“That interdisciplinary and cross-sectorial research takes time and resources and is therefore demanding for our researchers. Even if we try to offer support and create opportunities that are useful for them, they need to invest their time – and that is not always easy in an already busy academic environment.”

How do you see researchers at SLU engaging with the One Health concept today? Has that changed over time?

“I believe the One Health concept has become broader in SLU, just as it has globally. This means that more SLU researchers hopefully can see its relevance to their own work. We have definitely seen more interest in our activities over time.”

What has been the most valuable learning experience for you personally in this role? 

“How differently people can perceive things. I was aware of this before, but it has been reinforced when dealing with all the possible ways that researchers from different disciplines and sectors interpret or sometimes even misinterpret well-intended information about One Health. But it’s very inspiring when you finally understand each other!” 

You are now taking up a position as Professor of One Health and Antimicrobial Resistance – how do you see the connection between your new role and the future of the platform? 

“As One Health will still be a central part of my work, I foresee a fruitful collaboration and I hope to be able to contribute to the platform in any way I can.“

We would like to thank Susanna for her years of dedication in developing SLU Future One Health as a meeting place for research at the interface between animals, humans and the environment. We wish her good luck and success in her new role, and at the same time warmly welcome Nina Lind Ranneberg, who will take up the position of Programme Director from 1 March. More about Nina will follow in the next newsletter.