New OSU One Health grant program spurs research collaboration
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Media Contact: Harrison Hill | Senior Research Communications Specialist | 405-744-5827 | harrison.c.hill@okstate.edu
From working with fellow investigators to participation with the general public, research flourishes when people come together.
OSU is prioritizing collaboration with a new grant program focusing on One Health.
“Oklahoma State implemented a strategy in 2022 that focuses our research strengths on the intersection of society’s greatest needs. One Health — enhancing human and animal health — is one of those areas,” OSU President Kayse Shrum said. “This grant program will enable OSU to examine the feasibility of different concepts and assemble transdisciplinary teams to create transformational change in the lives of Oklahomans and beyond.”
The new program — funded collaboratively by the Office of the Vice President for Research, the College of Veterinary Medicine and the OSU Center for Health Sciences — has awarded seven research teams funding to pursue various research topics.
“If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that human and animal health are intrinsically linked in a myriad of ways,” said Dr. Johnny Stephens, president of OSU Center for Health Sciences. “We know the health of people around the world depends on expert research on these intersections, and this grant program will serve to accelerate those efforts and make an impact for decades to come.”
Although originally not part of the plan, additional funding has now been provided by the Ferguson College of Agriculture, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering Architecture and Technology, and the College of Education and Human Sciences.
“I would like to thank the deans of other OSU colleges for their support of the One Health Collaborative Seed Grant Program,” said Dr. Carlos Risco, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “The research teams funded represent a cross-disciplinary approach in which team members combine their strength and experience in a single research endeavor. This approach will accelerate scientific discovery in One Health for the betterment of society.”
The projects chosen have 23 collaborating faculty researchers spanning 11 different disciplines/departments from six colleges.
“One Health research is a prime example of an OSU priority only addressed by transcending disciplinary boundaries. Each of the teams we’re funding under the One Health Collaborative Seed Grant Program is comprised of researchers from 3-5 different disciplines, all working together toward a common goal,” said Dr. Kenneth Sewell, OSU vice president for research. “We are convinced it will pay off — first with groundbreaking findings from these initial projects, and then with more multidisciplinary collaborations to advance our One Health priority for years to come.”
The teams and their research projects
Development of alternative antimicrobials against multidrug-resistant bacteria
- Dr. Anil Kaul — Health Care Administration, CHS
- Dr. Akhilesh Ramachandran — OADDL/Veterinary Pathobiology, CVM
- Dr. Josh Ramsey — Chemical Engineering
- Dr. Joy Scaria — Veterinary Pathobiology
- Dr. Pratul Agrawal — Physiological Sciences
Antimicrobial resistance in the ecology of extensive cattle production
- Dr. Anil Kaul — Health Care Administration, CHS
- Dr. Jared Taylor — Veterinary Pathobiology, CVM
- Dr. Wouter Hoff — Microbiology & Molecular Genetics,
- Dr. Akhilesh Ramachandran — Veterinary Pathobiology
- Dr. Kiranmayi Mangalgiri — Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
A novel broadly protective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to promote one-health
- Dr. Rashmi Kaul — Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, CHS
- Dr. Rudra Channappanavar — Veterinary Pathobiology, CVM
- Dr. Janeen Salak-Johnson — Animal and Food Science
- Dr. Jennifer Rudd — Veterinary Pathobiology
Utilization of Natural Human and Experimental Feline SARS-CoV-2 Infection to Evaluate Mast Cell Activation in Post-COVID Syndrome
- Dr. Bart Ford — Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, CHS
- Dr. Jennifer Rudd — Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, CVM
- Dr. Karen Wozniak — Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Ecotoxicological Effects on Disease Susceptibility
- Dr. Gerwald Koehler — Biochemistry and Microbiology, CHS
- Dr. Rudra Channappanavar — Veterinary Pathobiology, CVM
- Dr. Bruce Waldman — Integrative Biology
Effect of COVID-19 on Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in mice
- Dr. Randall L. Davis — Department of Pharmacology, CHS
- Dr. Xufang Deng — Department of Physiological Sciences, CVM
- Dr. Yong Cheng — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Exploring the Interplay of Diabetes and Inflammation during Influenza Infection: A One Health Approach
- Dr. Subhas Das — Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, CHS
- Dr. Veronique Lacombe — Physiological Sciences, CVM
- Dr. Jiyoung Bae — Department of Nutritional Sciences
- Dr. Randall Davis —Pharmacology