"International Symposium on One Health Research: Improving Food Security and Resilience."
Galveston, Texas — April 21-23, 2024

REGISTER HERE

Location: Moody Gardens Resort and Convention Center,
One Hope Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77554

Supporters: UTMB Chief Research Office, UTMB One Health,
Galveston National Lab and Institute for Human Infections and Immunity

Email UTMBOneHealth@utmb.edu for registration information.

Veterinarians - The Symposium is now approved through the AAVSB for 5 CE credits!

Symposium Rationale

Complex public health problems such as emerging infectious diseases, occupational health risks faced by agriculture workers, and ongoing concerns with food safety require multidisciplinary and inter-institutional approaches to protect the security, resiliency, and sustainability of the global food supply.

Our international Symposium Planning Committee of 22 diverse experts has designed an exciting program to engage leaders in agricultural industries, public health, veterinary health, food safety, and environmental health institutions. Our lineup of speakers are simply world-class!  The Symposium will be unique in that food productions experts will be centrally featured with the goal of identifying common ground from which new interdisciplinary research partnerships might arise and lead to better food resilience. We will feature lectures from the beef, dairy, egg & poultry, pork, aquaculture, fresh produce, and processed food industries. Research topics include emerging infectious diseases (viral, bacterial, and other), and the environmental, social, and public communication factors that impact Food Security.  We will particularly highlight successful One Health mitigation approaches to Food Security problems. We will also feature abstract and poster competitions with monetary awards for junior investigators. Abstracts and select research presentations (full articles) will be published by Elsevier’s One Health Journal in special online issues.

Symposium Objectives

  • To promote a transdisciplinary, 'One Health' research approach focusing on food security in tackling complex problems that plague food production, human (worker and consumer) health, animal health, and environmental health.

  • To share research knowledge regarding complex problems affecting food security and testing potential solutions concerning these complex problems

  • To build community and new collaborations between diverse professionals and their numerous institutions that work in the area of food safety, recognizing that food security cannot be addressed by a single organizational entity.

  • To recognize and promote excellence among junior professionals working in research areas amenable to One Health approaches.

Agenda and Speakers

In addition to our extremely accomplished planning committee members, we are busy lining up world-class speakers who will present research-oriented data on our Symposium theme of Food Security and Resilience.

View Symposium Agenda

Download: 2024 Symposium Agenda (pdf)

Hotel Reservations

The symposium will take place at The Moody Gardens Hotel and Conference Center (Moody Gardens). Moody Gardens is offering Symposium registrants a group rate of $169 (before taxes) standard room (one King bed or two doubles. March 31 is the cutoff for the special conference rate). The Hotel provides complimentary wireless internet access throughout the property, including the guest rooms Complimentary self-parking is available for all guests or valet parking is available for $22.00 for overnight, $10.00 for garage self-parking and $6.50 for day parking. Group rates are available two (2) days before and after the meeting dates, based upon availability.

Moody Gardens provides more than 22,000 square feet of flexible meeting space with complimentary Wi-Fi and the requisite audio visual equipment which will provide the necessary resources for a successful meeting. The host hotel is close to additional hotels and vacation rentals for additional pricing options for meeting participants. While the host hotel does not provide in house child-care facilities, there are a number of daycare facilities within a short (less than 5-mile) radius available to the conference participants.

Register for Hotel Rooms here.

Moody Gardens is an ideal venue due to its onsite educational attractions such as the Rainforest Pyramid®, Discovery Pyramid® with NASA-inspired and traveling science exhibits, and Aquarium Pyramid® – all of which are aligned with the global One Health initiative in addition to promoting inclusive and collaborative learning, fostering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) exploration and discovery to empower learners of all ages to reach their full potential. The costs for enjoying these Moody Gardens attractions are available here. Please note that these attractions are not included in Symposium registration costs.

For Family Fun – Attractions at Moody Gardens:

Moody Gardens Hotel and Convention Center is a public, non-profit educational destination utilizing nature in the advancement of rehabilitation, conservation, recreation, and research. Conference rate of $169 is guaranteed from the nights of April 19 through April 24. Within the grounds of Moody Gardens exist a:

Rainforest Pyramid® and MG3D Theater Complex – where more than 1,700 exotic plant and animal species from the rainforests of Asia, the tropical Americas and Africa are featured.

Discovery Pyramid® - this second grand pyramid debuted with NASA-inspired exhibits and now features traveling science exhibits. 

Aquarium Pyramid® - is a 1.5-million-gallon aquatic attraction paying tribute to the North Pacific, Caribbean, Tropical Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans underscoring the vital importance of the oceans and highlighting different aspects of our relationships to the seas.

Travel to and within Galveston

Galveston is accessible via two airports (William H. Hobby Airport within 40 miles and George Bush Intercontinental Airport within 70 miles) with both supporting domestic and international travelers. Transportation from these airports to Galveston and within Galveston is best secured by commercial ride services such as Uber (use phone app), Lyft (use phone app), Galveston Shuttle Service, Galveston Express, or airport taxi. However, as such transportation is rather expensive, Symposium attendees may instead want to rent a vehicle.  A rented vehicle will also support their visits to Galveston sites outside of Moody Gardens.  For instance, Symposium visitors may want to plan a short trip to enjoy the beach or to visit Galveston’s downtown area, many restaurants, or other tourist sites:

Abstract Travel Award Competition Winners

We thank everyone for their efforts preparing and submitting abstracts for travel award consideration. Our panel of judges scored each of the submitted abstracts for their relativity to multiple elements of One Health and likeliness to advance food security and resilience. Based on these criteria, the winners are:

Note: scroll left to view full table on mobile devices.

Abstract presenter's name (Last, First)AffiliationAbstract Title
Nguyen, Thang, abstract 1 Mobile AppInternational Livestock Research Institute, Hanoi, VietnamDevelopment and use of mobile application for transboundary animal and emerging zoonotic diseases surveillance – A One Health project for improving human, animal health and food security in Vietnam
Marushchak, LyudmylaUniversity of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TexasSurveillance for Respiratory Viruses Among Texas Wildlife
Nguyen, Thang, abstract 2 Wild AnimalInternational Livestock Research Institute, Hanoi, VietnamWild animals can be a food source in Vietnam: results from a mixed – method cross-sectional survey
Smith, LillyNorth Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, North CarolinaMoving milk and shifting risk: A mixed methods assessment of aflatoxin along informal dairy value chains in Kisumu, Kenya
Pulscher, LauraUniversity of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TexasOne Health Surveillance for Influenza A Viruses in Vietnamese Live Bird Markets from January 2019 to April 2021
Shrestha, AsmitaTexas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine, Amarillo, TexasEvaluation of IR Biotyper as a Rapid Tool for Serotype-Independent Differential Detection of Biofilm-Positive and Biofilm-Negative Salmonella
Jarra, Essa University of Glasgow, UKUnderstanding recurrent Rift Valley fever in The Gambia: A One Health approach
Ciuoderis, Karl abstract 1 FluColombia/Wisconsin One Health Consortium (CWOHC), Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, ColombiaInfluenza A viruses in Swine of Colombia: The need of a Strategic One Health Approach
Gateri, AlexDepartment of Community Medicine and Global Health, University of Oslo, NorwayUnderstanding antimicrobial use in livestock production to promote food safety and security: Ethnographic insights from rural Moshi, Tanzania
Shittu, IsmailaNational Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, NigeriaOne Health Investigation of Possible SARS-COV-2 Transmission Pathway in a Rural Community in Nigeria

While the Travel Award Competition for the best One Health abstracts closed on March 8th, we are still receiving abstracts for the poster competition until April 7th.

Downloadable Files:

  1. Research Abstract Submission Form (.docx)
  2. Guidelines for Drafting a Research Abstract (.pdf)
  3. Example: OH Symposium Abstract (.pdf)

Please send your completed Research Abstract Submission Form (file 1) and your research abstract (file 2) to UTMBOneHealth@utmb.edu. Your submission should be acknowledged in 24hrs. If not please send a query via email to Ms. Toni D'Agostino at tjdagost@utmb.edu

Poster Competition

To promote excellence in One Health research, particularly among junior professionals, we are including a poster competition. The poster competition will be scored by multiple planning committee members using a Food Security Poster Competition Score Card. Presenters with the highest two scores in each of three categories (six awards total) will be recognized with first and second prize certificates and cash awards (first prize $200, 2nd prize $100): High School/Undergraduate/Masters student, Doctoral student, and Postdoctoral trainee/Junior faculty.

The six winners of the poster competition will be notified by email and phone call by the evening of April 23rd and recognized in the final Symposium session the morning of April 24th. In this session, the six poster competition winners will be invited on stage and asked to give a three-minute summary of their research. Hence, in addition to drafting a poster, all poster presenters should prepare and rehearse a no more than 3-minute PowerPoint presentation.

Downloadable Files:

Poster Competition Winners

1st Place Doctoral Student
  • Name & Affiliation: Bridget O'Brien, McGill University
  • Title: Genomic Comparison of Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolated from Bovine Clinical Mastitis and Human Infections
2nd Place Doctoral Student
  • Name & Affiliation: Allen Martinez, Texas Tech University
  • Title: Bridging Communication Gaps for One Health: Demographic Variables and Language Needs in Interactions between English-Speaking Animal Professionals and Spanish-Speaking Animal Caretakers in the US
  • Name & Affiliation: Asmita Shrestha, Texas Tech University
  • Title: Evaluation of IR Biotyper as a Rapid Tool for Serotype-Independent Differential Detection of Biofilm-Positive and Biofilm-Negative Salmonella
1st Place Postdoc
  • Name & Affiliation: Laura Pulscher, University of Texas Medical Branch
  • Title: One Health Surveillance for Influenza A Viruses in Vietnamese Live Bird Markets from January 2019 to April 2021
2nd Place Postdoc
  • Name & Affiliation: Judith Oguzie, University of Texas Medical Branch
  • Title: Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Among Dairy Cattle, Texas
1st Place Assistant Professor
  • Name & Affiliation: Galaxia Cortes-Hinojosa, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
  • Title: Diving into Mercury: Exploring Early-life Levels in South American Sea Lion Pups (Otaria byronia)

Collaboration with the Scientific Journal One Health

A leading online scientific journal, One Health, has graciously agreed to help sponsor and promote the Symposium.  The mission of Elsevier’s One Health journal is to provide a platform for rapid communication of high-quality scientific knowledge on inter- and intra-species pathogen transmission, bringing together leading experts in virology, bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, vectors and Vector-Borne diseases, tropical health, veterinary sciences, pathology, immunology, food safety, mathematical modelling, epidemiology, public health research and emergency preparedness. One Health is the official journal of the International Federation for Tropical Medicine.

One Health will publish the Symposium abstracts as a supplement to the journal at no cost to the authors.  One Health has also agreed to publish a collection of research manuscripts from among the Symposium’s best oral presentations or posters in a special issue at a 30% reduction in publication costs.

Once the special issue is set up, there will also be a page on the journal homepage dedicated to submission with instructions that will  guide prospective authors.  Speakers or poster presenters wishing to have their manuscripts considering for publication in the special issue are invited to prepare and submit their manuscript according to the journal’s instructions for authors. See: Guide for authors - One Health - ISSN 2352-7714. Manuscripts will be first screened by the journal’s editor, as well as by a subcommittee of Symposium Guest Editors.

Symposium Registration Details

We are striving to make this an affordable scientific meeting and are planning discounted early bird registration as well as reduced registration costs for trainees.

Registration Costs

Participant Category

Registration Type

Applicable Date(s)

Registration Fee

Professional

Early

by March 31, 2024

$500

 

Late

April 1 - 23, 2024

$600

Trainee (Enrolled in a full-time educational program or residency)

Early

by March 31, 2024

$60

 

Late

April 1 - 23, 2024

$100

Please register as soon as you can such that we can plan to accommodate you in the Symposium.  Written requests for registration refunds must be postmarked on or before March 21, 2024. Cancellations submitted on or before March 21, 2024, will be refunded less a $75 meeting cancellation fee for Professional registrations and $25 for trainee registrations. No refunds will be made after March 21, 2024. Refunds are not given for no-shows. Registration substitutions from the same institution are accepted. All fees will be reimbursed if the program is cancelled.

REGISTER HERE

Excursions

Pre-Symposium half-day (4hr) guided inshore fishing trip in Galveston Bay (up to 4 persons/boat)

Date/time: Sunday April 21st, 5:30AM - 1PM
Transportation details to be arranged

Cost: $150-$200/person. Guests need bring only a hat, sunscreen, water, and a snack. Guests must have a Texas saltwater fishing license. Price varies by residence, age, and duration. A nonresident one-day saltwater license is only $16. Licenses can be purchased in many stores or via this web site:
https://www.txfgsales.com/CustomerSearch.aspx

Pre-Symposium discounted tour of NASA Center Houston
NASA Center - Houston website

Date/time: Sunday April 21st, 12 noon-5PM
Shuttles leave Moody Gardens Symposium (registration area) at ~8:30AM and return at ~5:30PM

Cost: $21.95 + shuttle cost

Post-Symposium Tour of UTMB Highlights - the
Galveston National Laboratory,
Health Education Center,
Old Red Medical Museum ,
and UTMB’s Biocontainment Unit

 

Date/time: Tuesday, April 23rd, 2-6PM (light lunches and soft drinks will be provided in the GNL lecture room)

Time: Shuttles leave Moody Gardens Symposium (registration area) at 2 PM and return at ~6 PM. Access to the GNL requires security approval. (Visitors must sign up before April 1st)

Cost: Free

Help Sponsor this Symposium with an Educational GrantUTMB is offering four levels of sponsorship:

Bronze (>$500 - $5,000)
Silver (>$5,000 - $9,999)
Gold (>$10,000 - $14,999)
Platinum (>$15,000)

Acknowledgement of sponsorship will be provided orally in the opening and closing statements. A welcome poster will be stationed at the registration desk recognizing our sponsors. The font size will increase related to the sponsorship level. Lastly, the journal One Health has agreed to publish a special issue based on the symposium proceedings. All sponsors will be recognized in the special issue.

To discuss offering support for the Symposium please contact UTMB’s Ms. Toni D’Agostino at tjdagost@utmb.edu or cell (409) 392-3471.

International One Health Symposium Planning Committee Members

Mark R. Ackermann, DVM, PhD, DACVP
Center Director, USDA/ARS-National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa, USA

Dennis A. Bente, DVM, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, UTMB, Galveston, TX, USA

Mandy A. Carr-Johnson, PhD
Sr. Executive Director, Scientific Affairs, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Littleton, Colorado, USA

Matthew Dacso, MD, MSc, FACP
Chair ad interim, Department of Global Health and Emerging Diseases, UTMB, Galveston, TX, USA

David I. Douphrate, PhD, MPT, MBA, CPE, CSP
Associate Professor, Depart of Environmental & Occupational Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

Heather Fowler, VMD PhD MPH DACVPM PMP
Director of Producer and Public Health, National Pork Board, Clive, IA, USA

Kathleen F. Gensheimer, MD, MPH, FIDSA
One Health Initiative Advisory Board, Phippsburg, Maine, USA

Gregory C. Gray, MD, MPH, FIDSA
Robert E. Shope, MD, Professor in Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Departments of Internal Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Microbiology and Immunology, and Global Health & Emerging Diseases, UTMB, Galveston, TX, USA

Denise L. B. Heard, DVM, MAM, ACPV
Vice President, Research Programs, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, Tucker, GA,USA

Gustavo Hernandez Vidal, DVM, MSc, PhD
Dean and Professor, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Escobedo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Galaxia A. Cortés Hinojosa, MV, MSc, PhD, CertAqVet, DACVM
Assistant Professor, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Pontificia Universidad, Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

Guy H. Loneragan, BVSc, PhD
Dean and Professor, School of Veterinary Medicine, Texas Tech University, Amarillo, TX, USA

Susan McLellan, MD MPH
Professor, Department of Medicine, UTMB, Galveston, TX, USA

Hung Nguyen-Viet, MSc, DVM
Lead, CGIAR Initiative on One Health, International Livestock Research Institute|ilri.org, Nairobi, Kenya

Juergen A. Richt, DVM, PhD
Regents and University Distinguished Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA

Steven C. Ricke, MS. PhD
Director – Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery (MSABD) Program Professor, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, USA

Anabel Rodriguez, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Texas, San Antonio, TX, USA

James A. Roth, DVM, PhD
Distinguished Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA

Linda J. Saif, MS, PhD
Distinguished University Professor, Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA

Teck Hock Toh, MBBS, FRCPCH
Professor, Faculty of Medicine, SEGi University, Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia

Montse Torremorell, DVM, PhD
Professor and interim chair & Chair College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA

Batsukh Zayat, DVM, PhD, ScD
Professor, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Symposium Sponsor — Platinum Level

USDA NIFA officia logo 2024

USDA & NIFAUnited States Department of Agriculture & National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Symposium Sponsor —
Bronze Level


Elsevier One Health Journal

Symposium Sponsor —
Bronze Level

CEEZAD Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases

Symposium Supporter

One Health Commission logo

One Health Commission



Questions?

Confirmed Speakers/Participants

View Full Listing
Mark R. Ackermann DVM, PhD, DACVP
Center Director,
USDA/ARS-National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa
Miguel Cabada
Miguel M. Cabada, MD MSc FASTMH
Associate Professor
Division of Infectious Disease
University of Texas Medical Branch
Mandy Carr Johnson, PhD

Sr. Executive Director, Scientific Affairs
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
De Ann Davis, PhD

SVP, Science
Western Growers
Irvine, CA
Heather Fowler, VMD, PhD, MPH, DACVPM, PMP

Director, Producer and Public Health
National Pork Board
Clive, IA
Gregory C. Gray, MD, MPH, FIDSA
Robert E. Shope, MD, Professor in Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Departments of Internal Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Microbiology & Immunology, Global Health & Emerging Diseases
University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
Denise L. B. Heard, DVM, MAM, ACPV
Vice President, Research Programs
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association
Tucker, GA, USA
Juergen A. Richt, DVM, PhD
University Distinguished Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
Steven C. Ricke, MS, PhD
Director – Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery (MSABD) Program Professor, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, USA
James A. Roth, DVM, PhD
Distinguished Professor
College of Veterinary Medicine
Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Linda J. Saif, MS, PhD (NAM)
University Distinguished Professor
College of Veterinary Medicine
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
David E. Swayne, DVM, MSc, PhD, DACVP, DACPV

Birdflu Veterinarian LLC
Watkinsville, Georgia, USA
Montse Torremorell, DVM, PhD
Professor & Chair
Veterinary Population Medicine Department
College of Veterinary Medicine University of Minnesota
Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota
Full Listing of Confirmed Speaker/Participants

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